Love in the age of algorithms: Young Koreans asking AI to play Cupid

Young Koreans are using AI algorithms on social media and dating apps to gain insights into potential partners, while also engaging in more acceptable digital exploration to avoid potential conflicts.

An image created by artificial intelligence system DALL·E after a request to create an image of a man and a woman showing their "Search and Explore" tab on Instagram, which is curated for each user by the Instagram algorithm based on their activities. [JOONGANG ILBO]

AI isn’t just making waves in the tech industry, it’s also making a splash on the dating scene.

Instead of the usual small talk, young people, or so-called Generation MZ, are using AI algorithms to gain deeper insights into potential partners.

Jung, a 31-year-old man, went on a blind date in April. Not long after meeting up for the first time, they turned on their Instagram apps and tapped the search icon at the bottom. Jung's feed displayed posts about football and memes, while his date's showcased adorable dog photos.

A screen capture of a user's Instagram ″Search and Explore Tab,” which offers content customized to a user's interests. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Instagram's "Search and Explore Tab" offers content customized to a user's interests. The posts are featured based on factors like the people a user follows or the posts they liked, using AI algorithms.

"We checked out each other’s algorithms for fun — it’s a trending thing," said Jung. While he doesn’t fully rely on it, Jung finds it useful to identify potential red flags early on.

Scrutinizing each other’s social media algorithms on first dates or blind dates is becoming all the rage among Gen MZ.

Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun suggests that this trend stems from the perception that social media algorithms are less prone to manipulation compared to traditional indicators like blood types or MBTIs.

"Words can also be easily fabricated," Ha said.

Couples are also engaging in this digital exploration.

Hong, a 32-year-old woman, talked about the time she got upset and jealous after looking at her ex-boyfriend's Instagram explore page. While Hong's Instagram featured posts about drama, dieting and fashion, her ex-boyfriend's page was full of photos of women in bikinis.

"I am fine now, but back then, I was upset and hurt," Hong said.

A screen capture of a 25-year-old K-league fan's Instagram explore feed. [JOONGANG ILBO]

To avoid such conflicts, some individuals are "cleaning up" their Instagram algorithms, unsubscribing from potentially problematic channels and searching for more innocuous keywords.

Park, a 25-year-old K-league fan, is one such example. After seeing cheerleader photos on his Instagram, similar photos kept showing up on his feed. To reset his algorithm before his one-year-long partner saw it, he began searching for his favorite football players like Premier League stars Cole Palmer and Reece James.

A software developer, Oh, recommended his friends frequently search for "Fu Bao," the popular panda, to curate a more appealing algorithm.

AI algorithms are also changing the way people fall in love.

According to Data.ai, Korean dating apps like Wippy and Glam, which rate users' attractiveness based on personal information, have been downloaded 1,187,000 times by January. These apps increase the likelihood of finding a perfect match by factoring in attributes such as age, height, weight, job and wealth. There are also apps that find candidates based on users’ values like lifestyle, political views and marital aspirations.

A screen capture of dating app 2ulip, which displays questions to learn about user's perspectives on love, work, lifestyle and more. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A 32-year-old man with experience finding a girlfriend through a dating app shared that apps have made finding a partner more convenient and effective, allowing him to screen for potential deal-breakers in advance.

However, not everyone is fully on board.

Jung Da-eun, a 28-year-old woman, appreciates the idea of AI suggesting compatible matches but fears it might take away the excitement of discovering someone new on a blind date. Similarly, 27-year-old Kim questioned the necessity of such complicated procedures to meet a single person.

Psychology counselor Choi Oak-chan said relying on AI algorithms to find perfect matches shows how precarious today's society has become.

"The recent surge in dating crimes and gender-related conflicts has heightened mistrust and anxiety among young people looking for love," Choi said, further explaining that young people are mitigating these anxieties by screening potential partners beforehand using AI algorithms.

However, Choi emphasized that what is as important as finding the right person is “putting efforts to maintain that relationship."

BY LEE YOUNG-KEUN, LEE CHAN-KYU, PARK JONG-SEO, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]