AI Matchmaking Replaces the Swipe for Gen Z

A new wave of disillusionment with swipe-based dating is driving college students toward AI-driven matchmaking, as TechCrunch first reported. According to the outlet, Ditto co-founders Allen Wang and Eric Liu—both former UC Berkeley students—launched the service to eliminate the "endless swiping" and "awkward DMs" associated with platforms like Hinge and Tinder.

Unlike traditional apps, Ditto operates via iMessage. Users provide biographical data and personality preferences—sometimes uploading photos of celebrity crushes—to an AI chatbot. Rather than matching based on identical hobbies, the algorithm identifies deeper personality traits. Wang told TechCrunch that while a user into rock climbing and another into streetwear may seem different, the AI recognizes both as "adventurous" or "individualistic," claiming that chemistry is predictable through these signals.

To remove social friction, Ditto handles the logistics. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., the AI messages users with a specific match, time, and location for a date. The company then collects feedback to refine future pairings. TechCrunch reports that Ditto has 150,000 sign-ups, with approximately 20% of matches resulting in actual dates.

Based in San Francisco with 12 full-time employees, Ditto is currently limited to a few dozen colleges, using .edu email verification for safety. The startup has raised $9.2 million in seed funding from investors including Scribble, Peak XV, and Gradient. Wang noted that the company's mission also attracted interest from Duolingo co-founder Severin Hacker.