Hinge CEO Warns: Communicating with Chatbots Might Fuel the Loneliness Epidemic

Justin McLeod, the CEO of Hinge, the dating app of the same name, expresses concern over human interactions with chatbots. He believes that the existing epidemic of loneliness is exacerbated by the presence of these bots.

In a detailed interview with The Verge, McLeod drew a clear distinction between a tool that aids people in improving their lives and an entity that attempts to simulate friendship through emotional mimicry.

«This is a dangerous game. We are already in the midst of a loneliness epidemic; over the last two decades, the amount of time people spend in person with friends has decreased by 70%. Consequently, we are witnessing a significant rise in mental health issues,» McLeod pointed out.

He referenced Mark Zuckerberg’s recent statement about many individuals lacking friends and how artificial intelligence could fill this gap.

«He believes these chatbots can become friends. However, I find it overly simplistic to consider friendship as an interaction where you are constantly told what you want to hear. The most valuable aspect of friendship is the ability to be vulnerable, to share experiences with other conscious beings. While initially, interacting with chatbots might seem pleasant—since there’s always someone available who says the right things in the right way—eventually, it will lead to negative impacts and a sense of exhaustion, pushing out the human relationships that need to be nurtured in the real world,» McLeod asserted.

He confirmed that Hinge is already utilizing AI tools and plans to expand their use. According to McLeod, Hinge sees two primary pathways for AI application: personalizing user experiences and providing guidance. His goal is for AI to better match users with potential partners based on their preferences and values.

«Hinge will be able to listen to users, understand their likes, and introduce them to a carefully curated list of individuals they are more likely to trust and want to meet.»

The second aspect, guidance, targets users who may lack dating experience.

«Many of our users struggle with going on their first dates, often not understanding why. Hinge provides prompts—short questions that help users share about themselves in their profile. Some users deliver excellent responses, while others are terse, resulting in ineffective replies. We’ve found that teaching an AI model on good responses to provide feedback would be very beneficial.»

In addition to discussing AI, McLeod elaborated on the company’s structure, its operational principles, future prospects, and interactions with authorities regarding user privacy. The full interview is available on the publication’s website.