“AI companion apps are rapidly gaining popularity worldwide, prompting concern from Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, who says technology should help people build relationships rather than replace them.“
Bumble founder and chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd has issued one of the strongest warnings yet from the dating industry about the rise of AI companions, saying a future where people fall in love with chatbots is “not the future we want.”The remarks came during Bumble’s first-quarter earnings call as AI companion platforms continue attracting millions of users worldwide. Wolfe Herd stressed that artificial intelligence should help people build relationships, not replace them. “For those of you that have been following and watching people fall in love with AI bots, I mean this is not the future we want for ourselves or the next generation“, she said.
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AI Companions Become a Major Business
The warning arrives as AI companion apps are rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing categories in consumer technology. According to Appfigures data cited by TechCrunch, AI companion apps recorded roughly 220 million cumulative downloads across Apple’s App Store and Google Play by July 2025. Downloads during the first half of the year jumped 88% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Platforms including Replika, Character.AI, Chai, Nomi and Kindroid have built large audiences by offering users virtual companions that can act as friends, mentors or romantic partners. Public app-store data shows several of the largest platforms have each surpassed 10 million downloads.
Unlike traditional dating apps, AI companions are designed to remain constantly available. They respond instantly, remember conversations and can be customized around a user’s preferences.
Bumble Draws a Line
Bumble is not rejecting AI. The company has been expanding artificial intelligence tools across its platform to improve matching, onboarding and date planning. What Wolfe Herd appears to oppose is the replacement of human relationships with virtual ones. “AI should never replace human authenticity or human connection,” she said.
The Bumble chief said the company wants AI to help users move from online interactions to face-to-face meetings rather than encourage deeper engagement with virtual partners. “We will leverage AI to enable that, but we will not use AI to replace that“, she said.
Debate Intensifies Over Human Connection
Researchers and mental-health experts have increasingly examined how users form emotional bonds with AI systems. Several academic studies have documented strong attachments between users and companion bots, with some participants reporting feelings similar to grief when those systems changed or disappeared.
Supporters of AI companions argue the technology can provide comfort for lonely people and offer emotional support at any time. Critics counter that dependence on virtual partners could weaken real-world social connections.
Wolfe Herd pointed to a broader shift in human behavior as people spend more time online. “The need for human connection and love is greater right now than ever. We are more disconnected“, she said.
For the dating industry, the debate is no longer theoretical. AI is already changing how people meet, communicate and form attachments. The question now is whether technology ultimately helps people find each other or gives them an alternative they never leave.
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