"I am, admittedly, a big flirt. I love everything about the exchange of getting to know another person. The playful banter. The rush of dopamine. The sexual subtlety and subtext of everything not said. Flirting, to me, remains one of the last human endeavors where people are intentionally trying to find common ground. It's pure possibility, absolute magnetism. It's also an art that can't be faked, or-despite Silicon Valley's best attempts-perfected by AI."
"That, of course, didn't stop Big Dating from going all in on virtual intimacy this year, during which the focus shifted from endless swipes to AI-powered matchmaking. As the narrative around dating fatigue reached new heights, the trend toward sincere connection was an overdue correction by an industry that, across the last decade, built itself on ruthless scale, maniacal ambition, and profit incentives, only to realize that the answer was right in front of them all along: You win by investing in people."
"The integration of AI tools wasn't simply about keeping up with the Joneses or leaning into new innovations (though it was some of that). For once it was more than just talk: Big Dating was seeking absolution for its sins. Where dating apps once conspired to retain users by any means, AI presented an opportunity to connect people faster and, perhaps, forever. It led many companies to reconsider their user experience."
Flirting is framed as a human art defined by playful banter, dopamine, sexual subtlety, and the pursuit of common ground that cannot be replicated by AI. Major dating platforms embraced virtual intimacy and AI-powered matchmaking, shifting focus away from endless swipes toward facilitating sincere connection. The industry recalibrated after a decade of prioritizing scale, ambition, and profit incentives, recognizing that investing in people yields better outcomes. AI was positioned both as a tool for redemption and as a means to connect people more efficiently. Platform metrics and user behavior showed signs of fatigue, prompting UX reconsiderations and niche successes like Facebook Dating among Gen Z.
Read at WIRED
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