In latest news, Justin McLeod, Founder and CEO of Hinge, will soon depart from the company to launch his own online dating app with AI integration. This has led to significant buzz on social media as Match Group is set to back McLeod’s project, as per their recent press statement.
President and Chief Marketing Officer Jackie Jantos will be taking over the reins as McLeod’s successor. In the meantime, the former chief executive will continue to be part of the company in an advisory role till March next year. McLeod’s exit, in a way, initiates two unique developments – the emergence of yet another rival dating app in the market, as well as possibilities of bringing together AI tools in curating user experiences in the world of online dating.
Justin McLeod steps down as CEO of Hinge for new dating app, Overtone
Hinge CEO and founder Justin McLeod will be resigning from his position to focus on a project which has long been in incubation with the support of Match Group, the parent company of OkCupid, Tinder, as well Hinge itself. Although he will remain as advisor to the company till March 2026, Hinge will be led by its President and marketing head Jackie Jantos as the succeeding CEO.
McLeod’s new endeavor, titled Overtone, has been making ripples across social media since the idea of an AI-integrated online dating platform emerged as a possibility in the industry. Match Group described it in their press statement, “Overtone is an early-stage dating service focused on using AI and voice tools to help people connect in a more thoughtful and personal way.“
According to a December 9 report by The Wall Street Journal, Match Group has been intending to make headway into bringing more technical innovations in the realm of online dating. It stated, “Match…has been trying to gain traction with younger users and contending with fewer users willing to pay for premium features on dating apps.” However, this idea has been mulled over by the industry for a significant period of time.
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Could online dating be driven by AI?
Juxtaposing the terms “online dating” and “AI” could trigger references to Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her. However, the tech industry is currently considering about these ideas quite differently than the film. Justin McLeod’s vision to be able to utilize artificial intelligence technology to develop algorithm while simultaneously improving the user experience on the dating app is not the first of its kind.
In August this year, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd considered the possibilities that could open in online dating with the help of AI integretation. In a report by The Wall Street Journal, she wanted to utilize AI as “the world’s smartest and most emotionally intelligent matchmaker in existence.”
For now, there appears to be little clarity on the specificities of McLeod’s new project. As per a Tech Crunch report dated December 9, the former Hinge CEO has been involved in the development of Overtone as an AI-driven dating app. The report stated, “It’s not yet clear how Overtone will differentiate itself from other dating apps, which have been experimenting with AI features to compensate for the market’s growing malaise with online dating — especially among Gen Z.”
What remains to be seen is how the implementation of AI technology would aid in bringing people together and not compromise the essence of connections.
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