Grindr is testing an AI model that can understand and reply to users’ explicit messages
Developing an AI that understands gay-specific slang has been a challenge, but the company believes it will improve interactions
By Callum Wells
Grindr is testing an AI assistant that can understand and respond to users’ explicit messages, offering a new way for technology to interact with niche communities.
The AI is designed to summarise chats and suggest potential matches, helping users navigate the app more efficiently. CEO George Arison said Grindr’s model is different from standard AI because it’s tailored specifically for the platform’s audience.
“If we can retrain models that are open-source today more appropriately towards our audience, using the data that we use and possess, that’s a unique advantage that is going to be hard for anybody else to replicate,” he said, according to Queerty.
Making interactions faster and more responsive
The feature is currently available to a small group of premium subscribers. Developing an AI that understands gay-specific slang has been a challenge, but the company believes it will make interactions faster and more responsive.
Grindr launched in 2009 as one of the first geo-location apps for gay men. Since then, it has evolved from a hookup platform into a wider social space. Chief Product Officer AJ Balance compared the AI project to creating a ‘global gayborhood’.
“We feel like gayborhoods have this special role and place for the community. It’s a gathering place where folks figure out their identity, have their first romantic, hookup, dating and social connections,” he said. “We wanted to do that on a global scale.”
Changes afoot
Grindr was recently forced to roll out a new age verification feature for UK-based users to prevent underage access.
When new users create an account, they must confirm they are over 18 before gaining access, with verification options now including a video selfie or a video selfie paired with an official photo ID, such as a passport, driver’s licence, army ID or PASS card.
This change was made in response to the UK Government’s Online Safety Act, which mandates age verification for platforms with sexually explicit content.
Grindr states it will not retain the documents or videos users provide, which will be permanently deleted once age assurance is complete.