AI Use in Online Dating Rises, Hily Report Shows

Artificial intelligence has become a routine part of modern dating, according to new survey findings from the Hily dating app’s T.R.U.T.H. report. The study, which surveyed 1,559 daters in the United States, found that a large majority of Gen Z and millennial users are already integrating AI tools into their romantic lives. The report indicates that 82% of Gen Z respondents and 87% of millennials use AI for tasks such as drafting messages or building dating profiles, with as many as 95% saying they plan to continue doing so going forward.

This growing reliance reflects a shift in how daters navigate apps amid widespread burnout associated with swiping, ghosting, and impersonal interactions. AI assistance ranges from simple text suggestions to full conversation guidance. Many daters also use AI to help them describe their personality more clearly, refine photos, or manage multiple conversations at once.

However, the report also highlights a notable contradiction. Even as people embrace AI in their own dating workflows, many say they would feel uneasy if they discovered a match was doing the same. According to the survey, 62% of Gen Z users and 70% of millennials say they would be put off if they learned their conversation partner was using AI during early messaging.

This tension feeds into a larger concern about authenticity. The rise of what some call “chatfishing” blurs the line between using AI as a supportive tool and outsourcing the emotional effort of connection. The issue is not entirely new; daters have long relied on friends to help draft messages. The difference now is scale and subtlety. AI can generate entire exchanges, sometimes indistinguishable from human communication. A 2025 study from Norton found that six in ten dating app users believe they have encountered AI-generated messages during conversations.

As AI-driven dating tools continue to evolve, platforms and users are grappling with where to draw boundaries. The central question emerging from the report is not whether AI will influence dating, but how much involvement is acceptable before the interaction stops feeling genuine.