Match Group leans into AI with new team

Match Group, the parent company of dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid, announced a new team focused on generative AI and other emerging tech, and a new hire that will lead it.

The team is called ASL — "Art x Science Lab," a nod to "age/sex/location," a chatroom acronym of yore. As explained by Match Group's CTO Will Wu in an internal memo obtained by Mashable, the name "serves as a reminder of how dramatically digital relationships have changed in just a few decades, and emboldens us to think big as we pursue transformative impact in the years ahead."

Wu noted that ASL will join together scientific and artistic perspectives in hopes of creating new ways people can connect; as such, the team is made up of engineers and designers.

Leading ASL will be Mark Kantor, whose position will be vice president of innovation. Most recently, Kantor co-founded Yellowbrick to build products and AI tools for retail investors, according to the memo, and was also the head of growth at video game developer Zynga.

Match Group has several teams working on the latest AI tech, according to a recent letter to Match's shareholders. Over the next six months, the company plans to launch some initial features, including helping users select optimal photos and using AI to highlight why a profile may be a good match. Larger AI projects "that more holistically improve the end-to-end dating experience" are in the works, as well.

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"By the end of the year, we expect to have launched a number of initiatives that will use generative AI to eliminate awkwardness, make dating more rewarding and surprise and delight users, all in a way that focuses on authenticity and maintaining the highest ethical and privacy standards," said CEO Bernard Kim in a recent investor call. "It's imperative that our features and tools enhance trust, authenticity and respect and, ultimately, lead to better matches and dates in real life.