"What, exactly, does it mean for Grindr to be AI-native? In a slide deck that accompanied Grindr's Q2 2025 results, the company declared, "To us, AI-native means rebuilding product, architecture, and operations with intelligence embedded at every layer-not bolted on as a feature." When I ask Arison myself, he explains that it's an opportunity to roll out custom-built tools for Grindr users, especially when off-the-shelf models lack specific knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community."
""There is a huge opportunity to fill that gap and give Grindr a significant long-term competitive advantage," he says. The company's plan for its gAI (pronounced "Gay I") is about as close to rebirth as a 16-year-old app can get-if it can pull it off. In speaking with Arison, analysts, and Grindr users, I learned that strong AI features are built from the ground up, need to actually make the app function better, and that Arison's approach might just be ambitious enough to work."
George Arison, CEO of Grindr, has promised an "AI Wingman" for nearly two years and announced a plan to become an AI-native company alongside Q2 2025 results. Grindr defines AI-native as rebuilding product, architecture, and operations with intelligence embedded at every layer rather than bolting AI on as a feature. The company plans gAI (pronounced "Gay I") to deliver custom-built tools that address gaps where off-the-shelf models lack LGBTQ+-specific knowledge. Executives present gAI as a strategic move intended to improve app functionality and create a long-term competitive advantage. Success depends on building AI features from the ground up and integrating them into core systems.
Read at Fast Company
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