Gen Z dating apps replace swiping with AI matchmaking

Ditto, founded by two UC Berkeley dropouts, signs up college students via iMessage rather than an app. An AI chatbot runs onboarding through text, collecting personality, interests, and dating preferences, with some users uploading photos of celebrity crushes to convey their type. The promise: "no swiping, no awkward DMs, just real dates every Wednesday at 7 pm." The algorithm matches on what hobbies imply rather than hobby overlap, pairing someone into rock climbing and skydiving with someone into hip hop and streetwear based on inferred disposition. It is one of several AI-first services chasing users exhausted by swipe-based apps, including a new venture from Hinge's founder.

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