Tinder's latest feature, The Game Game, is turning heads—and raising concerns—across the internet. Launched on April 1, the new tool allows users to practice flirting with an AI-powered chatbot, marking a new step in the fusion of technology and dating culture.
Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-40 model, The Game Game invites users to select from a variety of flirty scenarios—like meeting someone at an airport baggage claim—before attempting to win over an AI date. Based on their performance, players receive a rating using Tinder’s signature flame icons.
But not everyone is loving the idea. Social media lit up with reactions, ranging from curiosity to outright rejection. One X user wrote, “AI needs to be stopped.” Another added, “We’ve had enough with the AI, put it down!”
We’ve had enough with the AI, put it down!
— steven ☀️ (@arianaunext) April 2, 2025
Others approached the feature with cautious interest. “So you're telling me there's an AI out there that rates how smooth I am? I'm intrigued,” a user posted. Another commented, “So now it will be AI responses even when flirting?”
so you're telling me there's an AI out there that rates how smooth i am? i'm intrigued 😏
— ʚɞ (@holigirll) April 2, 2025
so now it will be ai responses even when flirting?
— 🅱️ (@FaKeSmlL3) April 2, 2025
Humor was also on display in many of the reactions. “Tinder’s ‘game’ just leveled up—time to unleash my inner Chad,” one joked. Another quipped, “It’s time to get that top score or delete the game and pretend I never tried.” One user even compared the experience to using spreadsheets, writing, “So, Tinder's added an AI to rate my flirting? Guess I'll need to create a VLOOKUP to find the perfect match. My dating life is now officially an Excel spreadsheet.”
Tinder's "game" just leveled up - time to unleash my inner Chad 😈
— skrptd (@iamskrptd) April 2, 2025
Despite the memes and mixed reviews, Tinder says the goal isn’t to replace real-life connection. Relationship expert Devyn Simone clarified at the launch event that “the Game Game is intentionally over the top—a low-stakes, playful experience that feels more like improv than a guide to perfect flirting.”
She added, “The AI rewards curiosity and warmth, listening, asking follow-up questions. It's not about being slick or having the best line, it's about being human.” Simone also noted that the feature is “not designed to replace human conversations,” but rather to “encourage real conversations with real people in real life.”
A Tinder spokesperson echoed this sentiment in a follow-up email, emphasizing that users shouldn’t take the game too seriously and that time limits were built in to prevent it from interfering with actual dating.
Tinder isn’t alone in the AI-dating game. Other platforms like Grindr and Hinge are also developing chatbot-based features, and third-party services like WingAI and Rizz offer AI-generated flirtation support for users looking to improve their game.
Still, as one user summed it up, “Practice flirting with AI bots to get you in the mood for flirting with the AI bots on the app. Everybody on the app is already a bot.”
practice flirting with ai bots to get you in the mood for flirting with the ai bots on the app
— Baby Blue (@0xpers3phern) April 1, 2025
everybody on the app is already a bot 🤣
Whether The Game Game becomes a staple of digital courtship or another novelty destined for the app graveyard, one thing is clear—AI is changing the way people connect, one swipe at a time.
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