What happens when a chatbot becomes your matchmaker? Can a quiet conversation with software lead to better first dates? The idea sounds bold. It also reflects how tired many people feel about swiping and small talk that goes nowhere.
How the flow works
A new dating app called Sitch uses an AI matchmaker to move past the usual profiles and one liners. CNBC first spotted the app and its unusual flow. You start by chatting with the bot. It asks what matters to you in a partner, what you value, what puts you off, and what a good first meeting looks like. It turns those answers into a simple profile with sections like non negotiables, red flags, and nice to haves. You can read what the bot captured about you and adjust if needed.
The next step is not a chat with a person. You continue talking to the bot about someone it thinks might fit. It answers questions about that person in plain language. The aim is to help you decide faster without falling into endless messaging. If both people say yes, the bot makes an introduction. After that, you talk directly in the app and decide if you want to meet. Some early users say they have gone on second dates. They like that an introduction arrives each week and that it feels more considered than a random swipe feed. The service sells setups in small packs rather than a long subscription. Prices vary by pack and can change, so it is best to check in the app.
There are real concerns. AI chatbots can give wrong answers or fill gaps with guesses. This can be a problem when people want honest context before they meet. Safety also depends on strong checks for fake profiles and fast reporting tools. The founder behind the app has said the system can go off track at times, and that improvements will continue. That is a fair admission. It also shows how new this idea still is.
Sitch is live in US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It plans to reach Chicago and Austin by the end of the year and the team also talks about a wider rollout in the future. If it grows, the service will need clear rules on what the bot can say and simple ways to fix errors. It will also need to show that matches lead to real dates and better outcomes than the old swipe model. The appeal is simple. Less noise. Fewer dead ends. A calmer path to a first coffee. Whether a chatbot can offer that at scale is the question. For now, it is an interesting test of what dating can look like next.