Overview

• At Viva Technology in Paris and on the Decoder podcast, McLeod argued that AI should help people get on dates and understand themselves rather than create virtual partners.
• He challenged Mark Zuckerberg’s idea that chatbots can fill the friendship gap, warning that relying on AI companions is “playing with fire” and likening it to junk food for mental health.
• Hinge already offers an AI-powered coaching feature that evaluates profile prompts and suggests improvements to boost user engagement.
• McLeod foresees AI-driven matchmaking replacing endless swiping by curating personalized introductions based on values, personality and interests.
• He cautioned that unrestricted AI development risks repeating social media’s engagement-focused harms and urged users to maintain control over technology’s role in their relationships.