In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Grindr CEO George Arison revealed that developers are working on artificial intelligence that will take much of the searching and planning off the user's plate. This new AI feature, called "Wingman," could automatically book a table at a restaurant based on availability and location. The idea is also that Wingman could chat with another user's Wingman to find out if there's a connection. Moreover, Wingman could suggest candidates for a long-term relationship.

Wingman is based on a chatbot from a company specialised in “romantic AI,” but it had to be adapted to meet Grindr’s standards with knowledge of LGBT+ language. For instance, on Grindr, "fun" doesn’t refer to a ride at an amusement park or a karaoke night. Also, as a user, you wouldn’t want Wingman to arrange a zoo date just because you like "otters."

The feature is currently being tested by a handful of users. By the end of the year, it’s expected to be tested by 1,000 users. Grindr hopes to reach 10,000 testers by next year. The plan is for the feature to be generally available by the end of 2027.

However, the Grindr CEO is also focusing on privacy safeguards for the AI feature, given that the app’s users, particularly the LGBT+ community, are a vulnerable group. For example, users will need to give explicit consent for their chat history to be shared, which will be used to train their personal Wingman.