Hinge CEO: Gen Z Turning to AI to Make the First Move as In‑Person Confidence Drops

Hinge chief executive Jackie Jantos says many single people in their 20s are increasingly using the app's AI features to open conversations because they lack the face‑to‑face confidence older generations had. Jantos told the BBC that Gen Z daters "absolutely want love" but are "struggling to have the confidence to put themselves out there" as they spend less time socialising in person.

Hinge — founded in 2012 and owned by Match Group, the company behind Tinder and Match.com — has continued to grow in the UK despite warnings from some relationship experts about rising "dating app burnout" and a renewed interest in meeting people offline. The app, which promotes itself as "designed to be deleted," aims to help users find long‑term relationships rather than keep them on the platform indefinitely, Jantos says.

Usage data shows Hinge reached around 1.5 million UK users in the year to May 2025, up from 1.4 million the previous year. Over the same period, Ipsos iris data indicates Tinder's UK audience fell from 1.9 million to 1.5 million, leaving the two apps nearly level. Bumble and Grindr follow behind.

Jantos highlighted wider social shifts behind the trends. She said Gen Z — who now make up more than half of Hinge's monthly active users — spend roughly 1,000 fewer hours a year in person with other people than their peers did two decades ago, which she translates to more than two hours per day "not in the company of another human, but most likely going deep in some sort of experience engaged in your phone."

"This prevents people from having the experience of being around others and that is quite a lonely experience," Jantos said, adding that almost half of UK Gen Z report feeling lonely "often or always."

Jantos also argued the Covid pandemic disrupted formative social years for many young adults: "Those years when you're sort of experimenting with how you show up in person with another person, how you flirt, how you think about intimacy, that was interrupted for many people."

Academic and industry voices offer context. Dr Carolina Bandinelli, an associate professor at the University of Warwick who researches dating and communication, agrees the pandemic changed how Gen Z approaches dating. She says apps were once pitched as giving users access to an almost infinite pool of potential partners while shielding them from rejection, but adds: "You're not really choosing, you're more guessing. The lack of social cues makes it very difficult." She also believes the sector may be moving "past the hype" as some users experience app fatigue.

Hinge's AI features include an automated profile review that suggests ways to make a profile more engaging, and AI‑generated conversation prompts designed to help users start chats with matches. Jantos rejects the idea that these tools encourage people to outsource dating to machines, saying they are intended to boost confidence and help users express themselves rather than replace genuine interaction.

Matchmakers and dating professionals see the strain on young singles. Siobhan Copland, founder of Cupid in the City, says many people in their 20s report dating app burnout and a preference for quality over quantity: "We're constantly bombarded with information... it's very much quality connections over quantity now." Copland also notes a cultural shift away from traditional bar scenes — some Gen Z are more likely to spend a Friday night at the gym than at a pub.

What This Means

The story reflects a broader transition: dating apps remain influential, but users and platforms are adapting. AI tools are being positioned as confidence aids rather than replacements for human interaction, while experts warn of the limits of screen‑first dating and the value of rebuilding in‑person social skills.