As AI reshapes dating, a Jewish organization is betting on the return of the human matchmaker
Artificial intelligence has made it harder to trust what you see online, including on dating apps.Singles are left wondering whether the person they're matching with is who they claim to be, whether their witty messages were written by them or by ChatGPT or whether the profile is even real.
Rather than abandoning artificial intelligence (AI) altogether, Chabad, a Jewish organization, is combining it with old-fashioned human matchmaking to help singles find lasting relationships.On Aug.9, the group is set to hold what it hopes will be the world's largest Jewish virtual speed dating event, bringing together 13,000 singles from more than 30 countries.
The event comes just after Tu B'Av, a Jewish holiday traditionally associated with love and matchmaking.Every participant is vetted by a local rabbi or rebbetzin (a rabbi's wife), while artificial intelligence helps match participants for five rounds of one-on-one video dates, blending human oversight with technology.AI IS CHANGING MODERN DATING, BUT EXPERTS WARN IT'S MAKING PEOPLE 'RELATIONALLY STUPID'Chabad, a Jewish organization, is combining traditional matchmaking with AI as it aims to create more happy couples.(Chabad Young Professionals)Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302, said that the initiative isn't meant to replace technology, but to use it in addition to the human element that many singles feel is missing from modern dating."AI can aggregate data and information and suggest people that match based on interests, based on patterns, based on values, and stuff along those lines, but you need the human element," Kotlarsky told Fox News Digital.For Kotlarsky, that personal touch goes beyond verifying that participants are real people.
It's about bringing an old-fashioned touch to modern dating that was effectively eliminated by apps.While he acknowledged the advantages of AI's fast-paced matchmaking, Kotlarsky argued it can't replace the judgment, mentorship and trust that come from someone ...