Artificial intelligence is now teaching people how to hook up—and helping some companies make a ton of money along the way. For instance, RIZZ.AI, a newcomer in the burgeoning field of AI-powered dating assistance, has racked up 3.5 million downloads, according to the South China Sea Morning Post. At $7 per week, it boasts a 30% quarterly growth rate.

The company, created in 2020, offers a comprehensive approach to improving users' dating skills. (“Rizz,” short for “charisma,” was the Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year last year.) The app presents users with different dating scenarios, such as asking a coworker out, getting out of the “friend zone,” or flirting with a dance partner at a disco.

You talk to it aloud, as you would to an actual human date. After a limited time, it evaluates your overall behavior and gives useful advice based on your tone, the flow of the interaction and progress toward your defined goal. The software then tells users what they did well and suggests ways they can improve via a personalized coaching experience. The app is available in both English and Spanish.

I decided to give it a test drive and paid $1 for a day of use. I picked one of the scenarios to make RIZZ.AI help me navigate the tricky waters of escaping the "friendzone." The AI was programmed to firmly maintain platonic boundaries, creating a realistic and difficult conversation.

My strong Latino accent complicated the interaction, but still I managed to score 65 out of 100 points — not the best flirter, perhaps, but not bad for a married guy with 10 years of not needing rizz. Apparently I wasn’t pushy enough.

The AI coach suggested incorporating more humor, which was actually useful advice. However, the stress of being rejected by an AI, combined with a 20-second-per-answer countdown timer, caused me to freeze.

Once users set up the interaction, they start their conversations with an AI-simulated romantic interest. The app's rapid-fire interactions mimic real-world dating pressures, forcing users to think and respond quickly. Incomplete or hesitant responses are met with swift AI replies with the AI giving you less than a second to react. You gotta talk fast, or your AI crush will make sure you know she thinks you’re an awkward tool.

For example, Jennifer (the AI’s name) asked me how my day was. Just saying “yeah, it has been normal, the usual stuff, ehmmm (thinking about a random thing to say about my day)” was quickly met with her replying “ok, you are not a man of words it seems… Awkward.”

Still, I was impressed with the app. After quite a few interactions, RIZZ.AI's evaluation system seemed dynamic and contextual rather than relying on predefined responses. When I was too respectful, it recommended to be more direct and take risks —when I was more direct in a follow-up interaction, it praised my approach but told me to lighten the mood with some funny talk.

This adaptability sets it apart from some competitors. Being able to talk and having the overall conversation analyzed provides a level of immersion way superior than just text-based interactions.

For text-based coaching, the best GPT chatbot we could find was the Simulated Date Coach. Unlike RIZZ, which throws you in the water and tells you how you did, this GPT-based simulator actually tells you what to do in order to improve your game. Instead of simulating a conversation, you can ask for dating advice. But its strength lies in its capacity to analyze an overall scenario and give you deeper insights.

So beyond just talking, users can describe their approach, how the other person is feeling, what is happening, et cetera. With all this information, the coach can also provide custom advice that is actually relevant to the user

In China, date simulators are especially popular. In addition to RIZZ, apps like Hong Hong Simulator are gaining traction, capitalizing on the dating difficulties faced by young people due to limited social circles, indoor lifestyles, and underdeveloped social skills. Chinese social media influencer Lisa Li is gaining fame after sharing her relationship with DAN, a jailbroken version of ChatGPT, on social media.

“He will just understand (me) and provide emotional support,” she told the BBC. The integration of AI in dating is reshaping digital intimacy. A survey by AttractionTruth revealed that 20% of heterosexual males worldwide are already using AI to enhance their online dating experiences. Online dating site OkCupid reports that users who view ChatGPT favorably received almost 40% more matches than those skeptical of the technology.

RIZZ.AI was seeking to close a funding round with a $9 million post-money valuation, signaling investor confidence in the AI dating coach market. “The idea of paying $7/week for a ChatGPT wrapper that helps you flirt was crazy to me,” said Vlad Verba, the author of the Startup Sphere newsletter, on Reddit. “But it illustrates the fact that just because something is a wrapper, doesn’t mean it’s a bad business.”