Artificial intelligence is being used for all sorts of things these days. AI is used for generating code, navigation, graphic design, search engines, and, in some bizarre cases, even movies.
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Now, artificial intelligence is being asked to help people discover love, too.
Hinge founder Justin McLeod announced an $18 million fundraise for his new AI-powered dating company, Overtone.
McLeod stepped down from his CEO role at Hinge just last year, and Hinge owner Match Group — which also owns apps like Tinder and OkCupid — is helping to fund his new company, alongside FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital.
While details on the company are limited at this point, Overtone describes itself as "a voice- and audio-forward service, enabled by AI, that provides highly curated introductions."
Oddly enough, Overtone will not include profiles or matches to pick from. Instead, Overtone will suggest potential romantic partners to users based on how they describe themselves when they enroll in the app.
Hinge Creator Investing in New AI-Powered Dating App
"Overtone is not a dating app," McLeod wrote in the blog post. "By that I mean it's not a social platform with profiles that reduce people to stats, quotes and photos. There are no opaque, algorithmic feeds trained on split-second impulses. And there's no juggling likes, matches and chats across many people at once."
The creator of Hinge dunking on algorithm-based dating apps seems odd. However, McLeod may be adjusting to an online dating landscape that has grown increasingly frustrated with ineffective dating apps.
A Forbes Health survey conducted in 2024 found that 78% of dating app users felt burnt out. The survey's 1,000 respondents reported spending about 51 minutes per day on dating apps. However, the near-hour of usage did not yield fulfilling connections.
"We get to know each person deeply. Learning about them in their own voice. Hearing their own unique story," McLeod wrote. "And we make only the introductions that are worth making. Grounded in relationship science and thoughtful reflection. We transparently explain why we believe someone is a great match."
If AI-powered romantic pairings sound like science fiction, that's because it is.
The structure of Overtone nearly directly resembles the app from Black Mirror's 'Hang the DJ.'
Unlike the app depicted in the Netflix series, which set a time limit on how long you can date the person you connect with before being forced to move on, having an AI-powered app set you on a blind date is an odd proposal.
