Chatfishing Is Taking Over Dating Apps: What It Means and Why Singles Are Turning to Matchmakers

By Matchmakers In The City

Published: August 27, 2026

Beverly Hills, CA

First came catfishing. Then ghosting, breadcrumbing, love bombing, orbiting, and seemingly every other dating term imaginable.

Now there is a new word every single dater needs to know:

Chatfishing.

Artificial intelligence has officially entered the dating chat.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into dating apps, singles are beginning to question something that used to be fairly straightforward: Am I actually talking to the person I matched with?

What Is Chatfishing?

Chatfishing describes the use of artificial intelligence to create or heavily influence conversations with a romantic interest in a way that misrepresents how that person actually communicates.

Think of it as the AI-era cousin of catfishing.

With traditional catfishing, someone may misrepresent their appearance, identity, age, relationship status, or other basic facts.

With Chatfishing, the person on the other side of the screen may technically be real. Their personality in your messages, however, may have been partially created by artificial intelligence.

Someone can upload a dating app conversation into an AI chatbot and ask:

"What should I say back?"

"Make this flirtier."

"Write something that will make her interested in me."

"What should I say to get him to ask me on another date?"

"Give me the perfect response to this message."

AI can generate witty banter, flirting, emotionally intelligent responses, compliments, jokes, and even deeply personal relationship conversations.

Scientific American began covering the rise of Chatfishing in 2025, describing how AI-generated conversations can create a modern authenticity problem in online dating. Researchers have since begun examining how large language models can effectively become romantic "co-authors," creating an online persona that may become difficult to maintain once two people meet in real life.

When Does Using AI Become Chatfishing?

There is obviously a spectrum.

Asking AI to proofread a sentence or help you organize your thoughts does not suddenly make someone deceptive.

The problem begins when AI starts creating the personality that another person believes they are getting to know.

If someone falls for your humor, emotional intelligence, communication style, flirting, or vulnerability, and much of that interaction is being generated by a chatbot, the other person may be building chemistry with a version of you that does not actually exist.

And singles are already uncomfortable with it.

Norton's 2026 Artificial Intimacy report found that while many online daters are open to using AI themselves, 64% said they would be bothered if they discovered that a match had used AI to modify photos or draft dating profile prompts. Another 2026 survey of more than 1,000 U.S. singles found that 58% considered using AI for dating conversations or profiles a form of digital catfishing.

Therein lies the problem.

AI can help you make a great first impression.

Eventually, the actual human has to show up.

Dating Apps Are Becoming More AI-Powered

Chatfishing is arriving at the exact same time that dating apps themselves are racing to incorporate more artificial intelligence.

Dating platforms are experimenting with AI-generated conversation assistance, profile optimization, compatibility tools, dating assistants, and AI-powered matchmaking.

Tinder has experimented with AI tools designed to combat swipe fatigue, while Bumble launched an AI-powered dating assistant in 2026. Newer dating platforms are going even further, using AI to conduct extensive interviews with singles and recommend potential matches.

The dating industry is facing a fascinating contradiction.

Technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated at helping people date, while singles are simultaneously craving something incredibly simple:

A real person. A real conversation. A real connection.

Match Group's own 2026 research found that singles were receptive to AI when it could make dating easier, yet they still overwhelmingly wanted human romantic relationships. Nearly half of those surveyed viewed AI negatively within a romantic context.

The Authenticity Crisis in Online Dating

For years, online daters have already had to wonder:

Are these photos recent?

Is this person actually single?

Are they really looking for a relationship?

Are they talking to 15 other people?

Is this profile real?

Now we can add:

Did they actually write that message?

Chatfishing adds another layer of uncertainty to a dating ecosystem that was already struggling with trust.

At Matchmakers In The City, we have watched singles become increasingly exhausted by endless swiping, disappearing conversations, situationships, misleading profiles, and dating app burnout.

AI has added an entirely new layer.

You can have incredible chemistry with someone through your phone, meet them in person, and suddenly wonder where the charming, emotionally intelligent, hilarious person from the text conversation went.

There is now technology sophisticated enough to manufacture digital chemistry before two people have ever met.

Why Matchmaking Is Having a Moment

Perhaps unsurprisingly, old-school matchmaking is suddenly feeling very modern.

Singles across the country are increasingly exploring matchmakers, singles events, curated introductions, and other ways of meeting people outside traditional swipe-based dating.

Recent reporting from WIRED, ELLE, Axios, and public radio outlets has documented growing dating app fatigue and renewed interest in matchmaking and real-world connection. A 2026 report from Seattle public radio station KUOW even described matchmaking as experiencing significant growth as younger singles move away from traditional dating apps.

And we understand why.

When you work with a professional Matchmaker, there is an actual human being involved in the process.

At Matchmakers In The City, our team interviews our Clients. We learn about their values, personalities, lifestyles, relationship goals, patterns, preferences, and what they are genuinely seeking in a partner.

Our Matchmakers then use those conversations, along with years of professional experience and intuition, to thoughtfully curate introductions between real people.

There is something increasingly luxurious about human curation in a world dominated by algorithms.

Celebrity Matchmaker Alessandra Conti Talks Chatfishing on FOX LIVE

Matchmakers In The City Co-Founder and Celebrity Matchmaker Alessandra Conti recently joined FOX LIVE to discuss Chatfishing, artificial intelligence, and the growing AI takeover of modern dating apps.

This is a conversation Conti has actually been having for years.

Back in 2023, Conti spoke with Fox News about AI-generated profiles, bots infiltrating dating platforms, and the difficulty singles were already having distinguishing between genuine people and artificial intelligence online.

Three years later, the technology has become dramatically more sophisticated.

Now even the person behind the profile can outsource portions of their personality, flirting, and communication to AI.

As Conti explains:

"Dating is one of the most human things we do. Chemistry is messy. Flirting is imperfect. Sometimes you say the wrong thing. Sometimes you get nervous. Those little imperfections are part of actually getting to know somebody. If AI is creating the entire version of you that someone falls for, what happens when the real you finally walks into the date?"

Can AI Actually Help Your Dating Life?

Absolutely.

AI can be a fantastic dating tool when it remains a tool.

It can help someone brainstorm date ideas, understand dating patterns, think through a difficult conversation, organize their thoughts, or improve a dating profile.

Transparency and authenticity still matter.

Your Match should eventually meet the same person they have been getting to know through their phone.

Because ultimately, nobody wants to fall in love with someone's prompt engineering skills.

They want to fall in love with them.

Ready to Get Off the Apps?

If Chatfishing, catfishing, ghosting, endless swiping, and dating app fatigue have you ready for a completely different dating experience, professional matchmaking may be worth exploring.

At Matchmakers In The City, our team has spent more than 14 years creating thoughtful, curated introductions for relationship-minded singles in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and across the country.

Before we Matchmake you, we get to know you.

Your values. Your personality. Your relationship history. Your lifestyle. Your future. Your dealbreakers. Your hopes for marriage and family.

No endless swiping required.

Ready to meet someone intentionally? Apply to work with the Matchmakers In The City team today.