Nathan* is 20 years old and uses the application Tinder regularly. One evening, he turns to ChatGPT to generate a message for a woman with whom he wants to spend an intimate moment. His motivation? Save time and get straight to the point with your intentions. Result: the artificial intelligence application understands her request and generates a text which it sends to the young woman. The latter accepts the invitation. “The fact that something other than me wrote the message gives a certain assurance,” believes the young man.
Asked about its ability to help people flirt, artificial intelligence app ChatGPT responded that it “can definitely play a role in improving users’ experience on dating apps and helping them meet people.” success “. All you have to do is type a few words into the generator to receive several suggestions for phrases or amusing approaches to send to the person you are trying to charm.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Dave Anctil, associate researcher in AI ethics at the Ethics Research Center of the University of Montreal (CRE)
Just like a friend, ChatGPT can also advise someone who has difficulty conversing on apps like Tinder, Bumble Or Hinge. “In the past, people used their friend networks or even apps like Reddit to ask for advice on how to chat on dating apps,” explains Dave Anctil, associate researcher in AI ethics at the Center for Research in Ethics at the University of Montreal (CRE). “People were already using the intelligence of others to show off. » AI therefore removes the embarrassment of asking a loved one for help.
According to Noé Klein, a sociology researcher specializing in intimate relationships and dating applications, the use of artificial intelligence in a flirting context can provide a feeling of approval for those who use it. “It’s a way to get objective feedback on what you want to send to someone,” he explains.
To overcome social shortcomings
Research shows that heterosexual men are the greatest users of this type of artificial intelligence for chatting on dating networks.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Noé Klein, sociology researcher specializing in intimate relationships and dating apps
According to Noé Klein, there exists, in our Western society, a gendered concept which wants men to be more enterprising than women during seductive exchanges. “This may explain why men resort more to AI services to diversify their approaches as well as to compensate for certain gaps or uncertainties in terms of emotional intelligence,” he underlines.
According to Mr. Anctil, this observation is also the result of a social gap. “We often forget it, but these relational skills cannot be learned at school,” he recalls. This decline in communication skills means that young heterosexual men feel less able to approach women, but also to understand the signals they receive. »
Does AI have emotional intelligence?
When asked, ChatGPT clarifies that she feels no emotion: “I have no conscience, no feelings, no emotional abilities. »
Dave Anctil, however, maintains that AI can understand the emotional intelligence of humans. “She doesn’t feel anything, but she is capable of creating a model of emotional intelligence based on data from the Internet which relates to relationships, love and sexuality,” underlines the researcher. With this unlimited access to data, AI is able to generate sentences and responses that can work on a scale that humans would never be able to do. »
Using AI does not guarantee that it will help you find true love.
You have to see AI as a tool since, on dating sites, you have to stand out and successfully connect with people. On the other hand, we must not lose sight of the fact that human encounters remain the point of success or failure in the end.
Noé Klein, sociology researcher specializing in intimate relationships and dating apps
Nothing beats a first meeting
Is it considered “dishonest” to use AI to chat on dating apps? Noé Klein points out that “the feeling of feeling betrayed by someone who uses ChatGPT to chat is valid, but in online conversations, it is also possible to fool people, without even the use of artificial intelligence” .
“The level of duplicity on dating networks increases with the level of AI since we can make people believe that we have language and expression abilities that are completely false,” adds Dave Anctil, who emphasizes that this practice is added to the already well-known practice of modifying photos in order to improve one’s physical appearance.
One thing is certain, artificial intelligence will not be able to replace the first impression during a first meeting. There is no assurance that the person will fall into your arms. “A study has proven that, regardless of the tactics and tools used on the applications, nothing can predict the outcome of the meeting,” emphasizes Mr. Klein.
Even though Nathan used the services of artificial intelligence, he quickly decided to no longer use it. “I realized how much it encourages rapid success and I found that it lacked authenticity,” says the young man.
But Noé Klein wants to be reassuring. “The fact remains that in our conceptions of intimacy, humans value authenticity and constantly seek to prove that they have something special to offer, something unique,” recalls the researcher. AI helps those who already engage in dishonest behavior on dating sites, but it would be surprising to see it increase the rate of people willing to lie on dating apps. »
AI as a love filter
Beyond people’s personal use of artificial intelligence, it already influences the experience of users of dating applications, particularly with algorithms. “Some applications use AI for matchmaking and thus calculate the attractiveness of people by analyzing several criteria such as their age, their ethnicity, their physical attractions,” explains Dave Anctil, associate researcher in AI ethics at the Center for Research in ethics of the University of Montreal. All with the aim of offering more personalized candidate recommendations to users. » Artificial intelligence also manages to determine the most compatible candidates thanks to the study it does of their profiles as well as their usage data. “Just like algorithms, dating applications are not neutral,” recalls Noé Klein, sociology researcher specializing in intimate relationships and dating applications. Uniformity already exists on these sites where we are all subject to the same profile models. »
* Nathan only uses his first name so as not to be recognized by people around him.