Bumble is expanding into generative AI with a new assistant named "Bee." During Wednesday's fourth-quarter earnings announcement, the company introduced Bee as a personal matchmaker that learns about users' values, relationship goals, communication style, lifestyle, and dating intentions through private chats. These insights are then used to recommend more relevant matches. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd informed investors that Bee is currently in an internal pilot phase but will soon enter beta testing. The company believes Bee will allow it to gather richer data about each user's story and preferences, potentially setting Bumble apart from competitors like Tinder, which recently revamped its own platform as interest from Gen Z daters has cooled. Users will interact with Bee conversationally, similar to other AI chatbots, via typing and voice.

Initially, Bee will power a new feature called "Dates," which uses AI to suggest compatible matches. In the future, Bumble plans for Bee to expand into functions like proposing date ideas or collecting anonymous feedback from past connections. Within "Dates," Bee first gets to know a user through a private onboarding chat. It then pairs two individuals who share similar intentions, values, and relationship goals, notifying both in the app with an explanation of why they are a good match. This addition is part of a broader technology and AI-driven redesign for the app, which has historically emphasized features catering to women's needs. Bumble pioneered concepts like requiring women to message first, banning body-shaming, and blurring unsolicited explicit images.

Now, Bumble aims to leverage AI to reignite user growth, especially as younger demographics, particularly Gen Z, show declining interest in swiping-based mechanics. Herd noted that the company will test removing the swipe function in certain markets to gauge user response. Instead of relying on binary swipes, Bumble plans to emphasize features like "chapter-based" profiles, where members can connect over different aspects of a person's life story. This approach is expected to generate more data for Bumble's AI and algorithms. Wolfe Herd explained, "We will be introducing more dynamic ways for somebody to express interest in your story, rather than just your profile, and this is going to drive more dynamic engagement, spark better conversation, and ultimately drive better KPIs across the board—like engagement and chances to get better conversations going." She added, "You will also see us take a much more deliberate approach to getting people offline versus just in what people refer to as dead-end chat zones."

The company is also exploring ways to better serve Gen Z users, who often favor group socializing over one-on-one dates when meeting new people. Bumble has been integrating AI into its app for several years, implementing tools for AI photo selection, feedback, and safety enhancements. Wolfe Herd told investors that the app's back-end infrastructure has been redesigned to support this AI integration. For the fourth quarter, Bumble reported stronger-than-expected earnings, with revenue reaching $224.2 million and average revenue per paying user increasing by 7.9% to $22.20. Following the announcement, the company's stock rose approximately 40%.