Swipe Fatigue Meets Meta AI
Facebook Dating has introduced a new AI assistant. Powered by Meta AI, it’s supposed to help users find better matches while reducing “swipe fatigue.” Instead of endlessly scrolling, users can now type in prompts like “a Brooklyn girl in tech” or “someone who loves hiking.” The assistant then sifts through profiles to deliver a curated list of potential matches.
It’s a smart feature, at least on paper. The AI also offers dating advice, profile tips, even first date ideas. Meta is framing this as a more humanized way to approach dating. It’s less about left or right swipes, and more about meaningful connections. Yet is this about love, or is it about data?
Facebook’s Track Record
Facebook is not a platform I would turn to for finding my soulmate. Especially now that they’re integrating their AI into it. Its history with user trust is messy, to say the least. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to repeated data breaches, Facebook (now Meta) has proven it struggles to keep sensitive information safe.
Now imagine layering dating data on top of that. Romantic preferences, private messages, profile details, even location information. All of that is exactly the kind of personal data that makes privacy experts nervous.
Meta says that its AI assistant uses only publicly available profile information. The company also claims dating data isn’t used for targeted advertising. Yet given Facebook’s history, those promises ring hollow for many.
Meta Is Already Using Your Data for AI
On June 26, 2024, Meta updated its privacy policy to allow the use of user data to train its generative AI models.
If you post or interact with chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or WhatsApp, Meta can use that information to train its AI. Even if you never touch Meta’s apps, you’re still not safe. If someone else uploads a photo of you, that can be scraped into the company’s AI systems.
This means Meta has started making plans on how to handle user data. Add on the fact they are running out of training data so they work to build more powerful models. The leap from training AI on your public posts to your dating preferences doesn’t feel far-fetched.
Is This About Training Data?
I might sound paranoid but I think it’s warranted since this is Facebook we’re talking about here. The AI assistant is powered by Meta’s Llama models. Training AI requires mountains of fresh, high-quality human data. What better way to get around that than to use your users’ love lives as training data? Where people reveal their quirks, desires, and vulnerabilities in unfiltered ways?
Tech companies are already facing lawsuits for using copyrighted material in AI training. One possible workaround is to use data that users willingly hand over. Like dating preferences, messages, and interactions. Facebook Dating, with its AI layer, could be the perfect setup for this.
Privacy vs. Convenience
Yes, the AI assistant may help users cut through the noise of dating apps. Yes, it might give clever date ideas. Every time you describe your dream partner, you’re also feeding Meta more personal information about who you are and how you think.
Even with privacy settings and protections built into Facebook Dating, experts point out that the platform has a long way to go in regaining trust. The risk isn’t just scams or fake profiles. It’s the broader question of what Meta plans to do with all this sensitive data.
So, should you use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant? That depends on how much you trust Meta. If you’re okay with the possibility that your love life might double as training material for AI, then maybe it’s worth a shot. If you’re wary of Meta’s data practices, the safer bet is to stay away.
