Here’s One Thing Gen Z Considers A ‘Big Concern’ When Dating

Dating, it’s something all of us do, whether it be through work connections, Tinder, or one of many other methods.

Gen Z, a group born from roughly 1997 to 2012, are no different in that regard. However, they have a big, very important stipulation about what they’ll accept and what is a deal breaker. The problem that is a bridge too far is the use of AI or Artificial Intelligence. While there are different variations of AI, such as using it to vet contestants for Love Island, or as types of stylists, their discomfort comes from the type of usage.

According to Newsweek, “The biggest concern appears to be emotional and interpersonal judgement. Using AI to analyze relationship conflict tops the list of dealbreakers, cited by 75 percent of Gen Z and 70 percent of millennials. Close behind is using AI to process emotions which 69 percent of Gen Z and 60 percent of millennials find off-putting.”  

“The idea seems to be that there’s a concern about the ability to handle emotions and not asking a computer to do it. While art can be less innate, processing feelings is more intuitive and should have been more natural..”

It becomes a question about humanity, effort and interpersonal relationships, all of which are a foundation of dating. This concern is not unfounded, as large scale usage of AI can damage people’s minds in fields they utilize them in. 

Dan Levy, senior lecturer in public policy at Harvard Kennedy Center, per an excerpt from his work, Teaching Effectively with ChatGPT, wrote, “If a student uses AI to do the work with them, there’s not going to be much learning.”

It’s one thing if someone doesn’t want to be an artist, not everyone wants to take years to learn how to draw. It is another thing entirely if there’s no desire to take the time to learn about functioning in society.

It is reminiscent of overprotective parents that stunt emotional growth as Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found. Just as that would be off-putting to a partner, so too would the AI. It may be less obvious as the AI wouldn’t exactly “talk” to the other person, the concerns and impact would still be very real. 

While so AI can certainly be helpful, such as scientific research, it’s worth forgoing it in favor of going the “old fashioned” route.