They’re nearly impossible to catch, even harder to kill, and seem to lurk in every corner of the internet. Some call them the cockroaches of the World Wide Web; others call them the technology of the future. Yes, deepfakes and AI-generated images scuttle in the shadows as well as in plain sight — and they aren’t going anywhere.
Match Group, the online dating conglomerate that owns Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and, of course, Match.com, is a worthy opponent in the war against inauthentic photos and AI-generated dating profiles. The company recently enlisted the help of cybersecurity company Reality Defender to see just how many deepfakes are lurking on Match Group’s apps and sites.
Match Group has taken an active role in protecting the consumer by making plans to release a comprehensive educational guide to deepfakes and AI. After all, a prevailing fear among dating app and dating sites users is that they’ll accidentally fall for a deepfake, the consequences of which can be far more serious than a broken heart.
What Is a Deepfake?
A deepfake is typically a digitally altered image or video of someone that is meant to dupe the viewer. This is not to be confused with app filters or photoshop edits, which are usually easy to spot and are used for fun or for self-improvement.
Deepfakes are created to blend in, to appear just as authentic as, say, news coverage, a celebrity interview, or even an average person filming a video. Importantly, deepfakes are often used to mislead and manipulate the viewer. On a smaller scale, deepfakes can pop up on social media and dating apps. And on a larger scale, they can mislead entire populations of people, leading to paranoia and violence.
But don’t underestimate the damage deepfakes can do on the so-called “smaller scale.” The average person doesn’t know how to detect a deepfake, which makes them vulnerable to deception. Dating app users are already in an emotionally vulnerable state, which makes them particularly susceptible to manipulation in the form of altered images, fake profiles, and AI-generated catfish.
Yes, artificial intelligence is often used to create deepfakes. Cybersecurity companies like Reality Defender help large businesses like Match Group detect deepfakes and AI-generated content. Match Group, which owns some of the more popular dating sites and apps in the world, has made combating deepfakes one of its main goals.
Searching for Deepfakes on Tinder
Match Group had Reality Defender conduct a search for deepfakes on a sample of profile images on Tinder. It discovered that deepfakes are rarely used on Tinder — 99.4% of the images came up clean — and of the small group of images that did show evidence of AI manipulation, 88% of them had merely been edited slightly with face-tuning or beauty editor apps.
This doesn’t mean that deepfakes don’t exist on Tinder or other dating apps, however. Not one to rest on its laurels, Match Group plans to use the information gathered from Reality Defender’s investigation to develop new tools that combat AI-generated images and videos. The company plans to release educational materials about deepfakes to users in 2025.
These educational materials will show visible examples of deepfakes and teach people what to look out for. Knowing what you’re up against is the best way to avoid getting your heart broken by a fake dating profile — or, perhaps worse, being scammed by one.
The fight against deepfakes and misleading AI-generated images is an uphill battle. Companies like Reality Defender can hold fakes and catfish at bay, but they can’t eliminate them all. Deepfake technology — better known as deep, or machine, learning — grows more sophisticated by the day. Which is why Match Group doesn’t plan on running from the burgeoning AI and deepfake revolution, but on embracing it.
“At Match Group, we believe machine learning and AI can be game-changers for our users and our business,” the company said. By learning about the enemy, Match Group can potentially sap it of its power.
Match Group is a formidable force, enough to set industry standards. When it takes deepfakes seriously, so do other dating apps. Hopefully, its actions will lead to a world where falling for a deepfake — whether romantically or in a more general sense — is close to impossible.
