The CEO of Grindr, Greg Arison, took the stage at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech Conference and advocated for using “synthetic employees” alongside human ones.
The conference occurred between July 15 and 17 in Park City, Utah. There, prolific journalists got to interview some of the biggest leaders in the tech world. Fortune assembled a wide range of speakers for the conference, including the Grammy-nominated musician Aloe Blacc and, of course, Arison.
During his talk, Arison discussed the benefits of AI, or “synthetic employees,” including increased competition amongst human employees. With a smaller team, companies can zero in on choosing the most optimal candidates, or, as Arison calls them, “A+ employees.” In an interview with CNBC, he explained how apps like Grindr use data to match users together and how AI could help with this system, improving the user experience.
Grindr is not the only dating app to dabble in artificial intelligence. Tinder is currently developing a Photo Selector tool that, when given access to a user’s camera roll, will recommend a variety of photos for the user’s profile. Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd believes “AI dating concierges” are the future, claiming these dating assistants will make the online dating process more equitable for women. Despite these apps’ AI investments, many users remain skeptical of AI’s involvement in their dating lives.
While some dating apps are scrambling to keep users intrigued, Grindr has had a rather successful 2024. Compared to apps like Tinder and Bumble, Grindr has experienced a massive stock increase, with shares up over 100% since 2023. The app attributes its success to the LGBTQ+ community and their interest in an app made for queer people by queer people. Grindr also prides itself on providing a safe space for queer people to talk, date, and express themselves.
Grindr turned 15 this year and celebrated by launching a new travel feature, Roam, allowing users to temporarily change their location ahead of a trip. The company also hosted its first investor day in honor of Pride Month. At the New York event, the company laid out plans to integrate new AI features and celebrated their growth, which they hope to increase in the coming years.
Photo Courtesy of Business Wire
