Bumble introduced an AI assistant named “Bee” during its fourth-quarter earnings announcement.
The addition represents a broader tech and AI-focused overhaul of the dating app, aimed at returning to user growth amid a market where younger users are tired of the swipe mechanism. The company reported better-than-expected Q4 revenue of $224.2 million and a 7.9% increase in average revenue per paying user to $22.20, causing its stock to rally about 40%.
Bee is designed to learn users’ values, relationship goals, communication style, lifestyle, and dating intentions through private chats to find more relevant matches. Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said Bee is currently in the pilot phase and being tested internally, with a beta launch planned soon.
Initially, Bee will power a new dating experience called “Dates” using AI to recommend matches based on shared intentions, values, and goals. In “Dates,” Bee learns about users through a private onboarding conversation and notifies both parties with a description of why they are a great match.
Bumble plans to expand Bee’s future capabilities to include date suggestions and requesting anonymous feedback from prior matches. Users will interact with Bee through typing and speaking in a conversational style, similar to other AI chatbots.
The company is experimenting with removing the swipe mechanism in select markets to address user fatigue, particularly among Gen Z. Bumble is introducing “chapter-based” profiles to allow connections on different parts of a user’s life story, providing more data for AI systems.
“We will be introducing more dynamic ways for somebody to express interest in your story, rather than just your profile,” Wolfe Herd said. She stated this will drive more dynamic engagement, spark better conversation, and ultimately drive better KPIs across the board.
Bumble has been adding AI to its app for years, including AI photo selection, feedback tools, and safety features. Wolfe Herd said the company’s back-end infrastructure has been overhauled with AI.
Bumble historically marketed itself around women’s needs, pioneering features like “women message first” and tools that blurred unsolicited explicit images. The company is also looking into ways to better cater to Gen Z, a cohort that often prefers group socializing over one-on-one dates.
