Hinge has banned at least one user for posting an AI-generated headshot, a move that highlights the growing conflict between dating platforms and the use of artificial intelligence in profile photos. The incident involves a 50-something-year-old New York City resident who used Aragon.ai to create an image of himself standing on a Manhattan roof. Although the photo initially attracted significant attention on his Hinge profile, the app removed his account. He later regained access but deleted the image, suspecting it was the cause of the ban.
The proliferation of AI tools has changed how men present themselves on dating apps, according to Kathryn Coduto, an assistant professor at Boston University who studies dating apps. Coduto told CBS News that while both genders use editing tools, men appear more likely to use AI to enhance their profiles. She noted that women tend to receive more matches and messages, creating pressure for men to stand out in a crowded market. "I think AI has made people more wary and skeptical of others, especially people they don't know," Coduto said.
Lana Li, a Brooklyn-based dating consultant who calls herself a "digital stylist," uses AI to help clients refine their images. Li, who runs the Substack "Love Me Like a Robot," uses tools like FaceApp to adjust facial expressions and ChatGPT to alter clothing and hairstyles. She defends these edits as subtle enhancements that maintain authenticity, such as lifting a mouth corner to appear friendlier or changing an outfit. However, Li draws a line at significant misrepresentations, declining a request to place a client's head on a marathon runner's body.
Two male clients of Li spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity. One, a 30-year-old tech employee in New York City, used ChatGPT to dress himself in more professional attire and tame his hair. He stated the edits were subtle and did not constitute catfishing. The other client, the 50-something-year-old whose account was banned by Hinge, used Aragon.ai for his roof-top photo. He reported that the image received the most likes on his profile before the ban.
Women on TikTok and in personal accounts report frequently encountering AI-generated profiles. Marissa, a 31-year-old marketing professional in Boston who asked to withhold her surname, said she often sees photos with telltale signs of AI manipulation, such as waxy skin or distorted features. She sometimes encounters entirely fabricated scenes, including one man tiling a bathroom wall in a suit. "AI aside, I'm not sure what the appeal is there," Marissa said.
Major dating apps have implemented policies to restrict AI-generated content. Hinge's website emphasizes authenticity and states that generative AI images must not be used to misrepresent users or their intentions. The company uses automated tools and human reviewers to detect prohibited material. A spokesperson for Match Group, which owns Hinge and Tinder, told CBS News that the company is watching the evolution of generative AI closely and listening to users who demand transparency.
Bumble also prohibits inauthentic profiles and bars the use of artificially generated photos to deceive others. A Bumble spokesperson said the company enforces its guidelines through AI-powered tools, human moderation, verification features, and member reporting, with penalties ranging up to permanent bans. Marissa said she now skips profiles that appear AI-generated, asking how much AI she is willing to accept in her search for connection.