Bumble Drops Swipe Feature, Unveils Bee AI Assistant as 80% of Users Report Dating-App Burnout
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 1
Bumble Drops Swipe Feature, Unveils Bee AI Assistant as 80% of Users Report Dating-App Burnout
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 1
Summary
Bumble said it will remove the swipe mechanic and roll out an AI assistant called Bee, marking a major product shift as usage declines and its stock has slumped.
Bee will help users improve photos and profile text, discuss dating preferences and steer matches toward people with similar values, which CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said should reduce dead-end conversations.
The overhaul reflects broader pressure on consumer tech firms to add AI quickly to satisfy investors, even as clumsy deployments risk turning off users.
Dating apps already face skepticism over AI in courtship, from chatbot-written messages to Tinder's 2025 AI flirting game, while a 2024 Forbes survey found nearly 80% of users felt emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted.