Volar, a new dating app, is aiming to make the dating process less exhausting by using artificial intelligence (AI) to skip the initial stages of chatting with a new match. Instead of filling out a profile, users create dating profiles by messaging with a chatbot. The chatbot asks questions about their work, interests, and preferences in a partner, and then spins up a personal chatbot that mimics their conversational style. These personal chatbots go on virtual first dates with the bots of potential matches, engaging in conversations and icebreakers. Users can then review these initial conversations and decide whether there is enough potential chemistry to send a real first message request.
Volar is just one example of how generative AI has entered the dating scene recently, with both app developers and users adopting the technology. Dating apps have mostly stuck to the basic swiping method invented by Tinder, but many users are feeling burnt out and emotionally fatigued. Volar aims to make the process more efficient and less painful. However, the app’s creator, Ben Chiang, emphasizes that the chatbots are not meant to replace humans but to help with early engagement. Users still need to build a connection themselves.
WIRED tested the app and found that the chatbot persona created by Volar engaged in conversations with matched individuals. One conversation started with an unexpected question about nuclear weapons, which Chiang says was on the border of silly versus inappropriate. The app has safeguards in place to avoid inappropriate topics.
Overall, Volar is using AI to streamline the dating process and make it less exhausting. By using chatbots to engage in initial conversations, users can save time and avoid the awkwardness of the early stages of chatting with a new match. However, users still need to build a connection themselves, as the chatbots are not meant to replace human interaction.
