CEO Arison says no single AI model will always meet Grindr’s needs

Grindr is shifting from a pure dating service to a tech-driven platform, with artificial intelligence playing a central role.

Under CEO George Arison, Grindr is overhauling its business model. Instead of focusing solely on dating, the company is betting on AI-powered features and new revenue streams, aiming to become more than just a dating app. Arison describes Grindr as a distribution motor that could eventually serve as a platform for adjacent services, much like Tesla.

AI features to boost engagement

Arison says Grindr is developing several AI products, including the partially launched "A-List" feature for paying "Unlimited" users and "Wingman," an AI-powered dating assistant. Upcoming features will include a "Discover Tab" that recommends users outside your current location and an "Insights" tool that predicts and surfaces extra information about users—based on algorithmic predictions rather than profile input. All features are opt-in and require user consent, Arison told Sherwood News.

These tools aren’t monetized directly. Instead, the goal is to make Grindr more appealing overall, driving more paid subscriptions or justifying higher prices. Like Duolingo, Grindr is planning a new, higher-priced premium tier aimed at users interested in AI features. Beta versions of the new tools are set to roll out this year, with full integration into Grindr's paid plans expected in 2026.

Claude, Llama, and a multi-model approach

Grindr is taking a pragmatic approach to AI. The company initially worked with startup Ex-Human to integrate a language model directly into its codebase for privacy reasons. Now, Arison says Grindr uses Claude from Anthropic via Amazon’s Bedrock platform, thanks to improved privacy controls in Bedrock.

Open-source models like Llama are also in the mix. Arison points out that no single model will be best forever, making a multi-model, multi-cloud strategy crucial for balancing quality and privacy.

Internally, Grindr is seeing changes too. Arison says about 20 percent of Grindr’s code is now generated by AI, and the company recently completed its first fully AI-written product documentation.