The Science of Mating

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An increasing number of dating profile photos seem to have been altered by AI a little—or even a lot.

One has to decide how much AI alteration they can tolerate on dating apps and know how to detect such photos.

It's best to remain skeptical of dating profile photos and de-prioritize them when judging candidates.

Let's be realistic. What's the first thing you look at when it comes to judging dating profiles? Is it the values and goals listed? Is it whether the person is “fluent in sarcasm," "loves adventure," or emotionally intelligent? Umm, chances are it's actually the photos because, admit it, if you are human, you can be quite superficial—at least in the beginning screening stages. But these days, you've got to wonder how realistic photos on a dating profile even are.

AI May Be Making Dating Profile Photos Even Less Realistic

That's because you may be seeing more photos that have been altered by AI. This can range from AI touch-ups to massive transformations. Yep, surprise, surprise, manipulation can be part of the dating game. It can leave you wondering even more what's real versus not real on a dating app.

I say "even more" because it's not as if things have been totally real all this time. With filters and photoshopping, what you see has long been not necessarily what you'll get. Using AI, though, can significantly step up daters' A-games—meaning, in this case, their alteration games. It can be like hiring a team to help. And that team can transform and even completely generate photos in a matter of seconds, even for those whose own artistic skills........

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