Dating app maker Bumble is making a significant leap into the realm of generative artificial intelligence with the introduction of its new AI assistant, dubbed “Bee.” Unveiled during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Bee is designed to act as a personalized matchmaker, meticulously learning a user’s “values, relationship goals, communication style, lifestyle, and dating intentions” through private conversations. These detailed insights are then leveraged by the AI to identify and suggest more relevant matches for the user.

Currently in an internal pilot phase, Bee is slated to launch into a broader beta soon, as confirmed by Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd. The company envisions Bee as a tool to capture a much deeper and more comprehensive understanding of its users, their personal stories, and their genuine desires in relationships. This strategic move aims to distinguish Bumble from rival dating applications, such as Tinder, which has also recently undergone its own revamp amidst a cooling dating app market, particularly among Gen Z users.

Users will interact with Bee in a conversational manner, similar to engaging with other AI chatbots, through both typing and speaking. Initially, Bee is set to power a novel dating experience called “Dates,” which utilizes AI to recommend compatible matches. In this feature, Bee will first conduct a private onboarding conversation to learn about the user. Subsequently, it identifies two individuals with shared intentions, values, and relationship goals, notifying both within the app and providing a clear explanation of why they constitute a strong match. In the future, Bumble plans to expand Bee’s functionalities to include offering date suggestions and facilitating requests for anonymous feedback from past matches.

This integration of Bee is part of a wider technological and AI-focused overhaul of the dating app. Historically, Bumble has positioned itself as a platform prioritizing women’s needs, pioneering features like “women message first,” implementing body-shaming bans, and offering tools to blur unsolicited explicit images. Now, the company is leveraging AI to reignite user growth, particularly among younger demographics like Gen Z, who are increasingly expressing fatigue with the traditional swiping mechanism prevalent in many dating apps.

Wolfe Herd indicated that Bumble would even experiment with removing the long-popular swipe mechanism in certain markets to gauge user reactions. Instead of relying on binary “yes” or “no” swipes, Bumble is exploring alternative features, such as new “chapter-based” profiles. These profiles enable members to connect over different facets of a user’s life story, providing more nuanced data for Bumble’s AI system and algorithms. Wolfe Herd stated that these dynamic expressions of interest would drive greater engagement, foster improved conversations, and ultimately enhance key performance indicators. A significant objective is to facilitate more offline interactions, moving users beyond what she termed “dead-end chat zones.”

Furthermore, Bumble is exploring ways to better cater to Gen Z, a demographic often preferring group socializing over one-on-one dates for initial introductions. The company has been progressively integrating AI into its app for several years, with previous implementations including AI-powered photo selection and feedback tools, as well as enhancements in safety features. Wolfe Herd also disclosed that Bumble’s back-end infrastructure had been extensively revamped to accommodate this deep infusion of AI across the platform.

Financially, Bumble reported better-than-expected earnings for Q4, with revenue reaching $224.2 million. The average revenue per paying user (ARPU) saw a notable increase of 7.9% to $22.20, leading to a significant stock rally of approximately 40% following the announcement.