Tinder revealed last year that it was testing a photo selection feature that would use AI to help users choose the best photos for their dating profiles. The feature, now named “Photo Selector,” was officially launched on the Match-owned dating app on Wednesday. It's currently available to all users in the U.S., and will be rolling out to international markets later this summer.
Tinder's AI photo selector leverages face detection technology and works as you'd expect: when a user uploads a selfie to the Tinder app, a unique face geometry is created from the photo, allowing the AI to identify people's faces and display photos from their camera roll. Google and Apple's photo apps (and many others) use face recognition technology to identify people in images.
The feature then curates a collection of 10 selfies that it thinks would look good on a person's profile. The AI is trained to select the photos based on Tinder's “learning of what makes a good profile picture,” like lighting and composition, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch. The company also recommends keeping group photos to a minimum, as it can confuse matches about whose profile they're on.
“The AI was trained on diverse datasets to ensure comprehensiveness and accuracy, consider different demographics, and adhere to our DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) standards,” the spokesperson added, explaining that the AI is also trained to filter out photos that violate guidelines, such as nudity.
The new feature aims to save users the trouble of digging through their gallery for a selfie and take the stress out of picking the best photo: In a recent survey commissioned by Tinder, 68% of participants said they would find an AI photo selection feature helpful, while 52% said they struggle to choose a profile picture.
“With hundreds of millions of people now using AI every day, we're excited to use our technology to help our users in an area we've heard firsthand is one of the most challenging parts of online dating,” Tinder CEO Faye Iosotarno said in a statement.
Iosotarno also emphasized that the feature is meant to help users make decisions, not have AI make them for them. “Our vision is to use AI as an enabler of the dating journey. Our commitment to our users is clear, and it applies equally to how we think about AI: At Tinder, we use innovative technology to create safe spaces where people can build authentic connections,” she said.
Parent company Match has been investing more in generative AI in recent years. At a Reuters event last year, Tinder CPO Mark van Rijswyk suggested users could use generative AI to write their dating profiles. In August 2023, the company appointed former Zynga growth chief Mark Kanter as vice president of innovation to lead a team of engineers focused on generative AI solutions.