Bumble: Harnessing AI to Power Human Relationships
Bumble continues to be a driving force in the online dating world, having pledged to use AI safely to improve user experience.
The networking application was a founding member of Partnership on AI, alongside big tech names like Amazon, Google, Google DeepMind, Microsoft and IBM, becoming the first dating app to do so. Its moves towards responsible AI so far in 2024 highlight a renewed focus on AI ethics.
With increasing numbers of businesses turning their attention to AI safety, Bumble desires to build on its extensive history of tackling misogyny, harassment and toxic behaviour online.
Prioritising safety online: Bumble’s commitment to AI ethics
Advances in technology come in tandem with ensuring digital safety and so Bumble is committing itself further to its risk preparedness responsibilities. For instance, its Deception Detector launched in February 2024 - an AI-powered tool that is designed to identify spam, scams and fake profiles before app users see them.
During testing, Bumble found that Deception Detector blocked 95% of malicious content automatically. As a result, reports of spam, scams and fake accounts reduced by 45%, indicating that such protections could ease user anxieties about being catfished (deceived by a fake profile).
Always striving to improve as a business model, Bumble is also considering the potential impacts of AI bias, having launched its Private Detector AI model. This is designed to shield users from unwanted interactions, with the company now pursuing lines of inquiry in the UK and US about potential penalties for misuse.
“Our users are looking for authentic connections, and I believe AI also has exciting potential related to safety,” new Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones told the BBC. “Within the first two months of launching the Deception Detector, reports of spam, scam and fake accounts decreased by 45%. We're able to use AI techniques to discover certain patterns, and it's a good use of AI that serves a unique customer need.”
Recently featured in our sister publication, Technology Magazine’s Top 100 Women in Technology 2024, Lidiane Jones took over the role of CEO from Bumble Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd in January 2024. She is an incredibly experienced leader in technology, having previously worked at the helm of several leading organisations like Apple, Microsoft, Slack and Salesforce.
She continues: “I believe any AI capability needs to ultimately help people be their best selves. Our goal is to ensure users feel AI is helping us, not replacing us.”
A decade in and with more to come, Bumble is committed to harnessing AI to shape the experience of its users in a safe and more successful way.
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