Real-life dating app happn is fighting back against AI misuse, with the launch of an industry-first feature which allows users to report fake profiles that have been generated through AI, safeguarding real-life encounters, sincerity and human connection. 
As the app made for real-life connections, happn is reinforcing that only real people should be behind the profiles and conversations on the platform. As such, the dating app has developed technological measures to draw a red line against AI-generated profiles, aiming for zero AI profiles across the app and ensuring authenticity remains non-negotiable.

For the first time, daters can report fake profiles generated by AI, so that users who detect foul play can report others specifically for AI misuse. While other dating apps allow reporting for fake profiles or scams, these aren’t specific to fake profiles created by AI. This reporting will assist the customer service team in prioritising the verification of these flagged profiles.

happn has also updated in its Trust Charter, which every user has to commit to, to explicitly prohibit users having a profile generated by AI. It also makes users pledge that they won’t send messages generated by AI or tools such as ChatGPT, in order to preserve authentic and personal communication between members. 

These updates join a robust suite of existing safeguards that are in place to protect the happn community of daters from AI fraud, and instead focus on sincerity and reciprocity. Alongside analysis of the geographical origin of profiles to detect scams, the app analyses keywords and photos to detect certain texts and logos, and compiles these into an image database containing the most commonly used pictures by scammers to catch them quicker.

The dating app also continues to use the positive role of technology to help crack down on suspicious behaviour. It tracks and identifies in-app activity that does not correspond to human behaviour, such as profiles sending one Like per second. Today, this analysis is carried out almost in real time to ensure no fraudulent profile remains on the app for more than a few minutes.

All of these automated AI systems are also overseen by a real-person moderation team working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This team handles reports submitted in the app, investigates suspicious activity, and responds to user requests to enhance their experience. Through this combination of human monitoring and AI technology, happn continues to make a clear choice that dating should remain human and prioritise real-life human interactions. 

"At happn, our priority has always been to create a safe and authentic space for daters," says Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO of happn. "As AI technology evolves, so must our strategies to protect this authenticity. By using advanced technology to counter AI-generated fraud, we are making a clear choice that dating should remain human. These measures allow us to preserve the integrity of every connection made on the app, and continue to offer a space where people meet as themselves.”

As AI continues to enter more parts of our lives, one question remains unanswered: what does dating become if we accept that machines can speak, seduce and present themselves on our behalf?