‘Goodbye to the swipe’: Are we ready to let a robot date for us?Outsourcing romance to a robot might save time and energy, but relationship experts warn the move could ruin genuine love for good.Naomi Kaplan3 min readJune 6, 2026 - 3:29PMWould you trust a robot to find your soulmate for you?That’s exactly what Bumble plans to do with its new matchmaking capabilities after its research found 70 per cent of people would consider using AI on a dating app if it helped them find the right person faster.The popular app, renowned for being the only major dating platform that prompts women to message first, is introducing a radical new feature called ‘Dates, powered by Bee’. Instead of traditional swiping, the feature prompts members to start a private conversation with a robotic ‘wingman’ about their values, relationship goals, and what they’re looking for. Bee then identifies a highly compatible profile and, if the interest is mutual, the connection moves to a live conversation and hopefully, a real-life date.Bumble's CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd shared that the company is saying goodbye to the swipe. Picture: Bumble“From day one, Bumble has been about empowering people, especially women, to make meaningful connections on their own terms,” Bumble Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said.Others you may likenewsnews“With Dates, powered by Bee, we’re fundamentally rethinking not only how people connect, but also why.”She added that the feature is about using AI thoughtfully to help cultivate deeper connections and eliminate dead-end conversations and endless swiping.But relationship experts and singles alike are yet to be convinced.The problem with outsourcing loveThis dramatic technological shift comes at a time when people are experiencing widespread app fatigue, and a dating culture that’s described as “far too casual and nonchalant”.“One of the most common complaints I hear is the sheer time people spend scrolling and swiping before even securing a match,” dating expert Suzie Kim told news.com.au.However, Ms Kim warns that automating your love life has its downsides too.“A profile tells you a lot if you know how to read one — the language and photos they choose, what they include and what they leave out,” she explained, noting that handing this critical vetting process to a bot can feel like a “loss of agency and control”. For women in particular, reading between the lines of a profile is crucial to assessing physical risk before agreeing to a date. Relationship expert, Susie Kim, says the new move comes with inevitable downsides and safety concerns. Picture: SuppliedMs Kim warns that an automated process could inadvertently create a dangerous “false sense of security,” making it easier to bypass red flags and access unsuspecting matches.Beyond the safety risks, she believes that an algorithm can never really replace the crucial, “messy human trial-and-error” required to predict true chemistry.“It is part of the point in dating and relationships,” she shared. “It’s only from actually interacting and dating that you find out who you are in the context of relationship — your patterns, triggers, capacity for connection.”‘Protecting’ human connectionDespite these concerns, Bumble says its broader shift to an AI-driven ecosystem remains focused on enhancing real-world chemistry, rather than replacing it.The tech giant clarified that the new Bee feature is in addition to the app’s broader move away from swipe culture, which will debut later this year.In a recent statement, the company’s CEO pushed back against fears of a robotic future, noting that while the tech world is increasingly moving toward “artificial intimacy,” Bumble seeks to do the opposite.Could this be the beginning of the end for ‘endless’ swipe culture? Picture: News.com.au“The next chapter of AI should not be about replacing human connection, it should be about strengthening it,” Mrs Wolfe Herd shared. More Coverage‘Sinister’ truth behind early retirement trendNaomi Kaplan29yo stuns in ‘impossible’ swimsuitEleanor Wicklund“The best AI should work quietly in the background so real people can show up fully in the foreground.”The new matchmaking feature is currently being tested exclusively in New York City to refine the algorithm before a wider release, with timing around a global expansion, including to Australia, remaining unclear at this stage.But one thing’s for certain – the dating climate is shifting whether we like it or not, signalling that the era of endless swiping might finally be coming to a close. Join the conversationAdd your comment to this storyTo join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? 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