Dating app giant Match Group has revealed that almost half of US singles are not fans of artificial intelligence (AI) making romantic decisions. A survey of 1,000 people aged 18 to 39 found that 47% had a negative view towards AI’s role in dating.

However, the study also shows that young people are not entirely opposed to AI on principle; 64% said they could see value in it for helping their dating journey. Yet, the majority were clear that they did not want an actual relationship with a robot or feel as if technology was making everything too artificial.

Examples of AI tools currently being tested include Bumble’s ‘Bee’, a dating assistant, and Tinder’s heavy investment in AI to aid user experiences. Meanwhile, Hinge’s CEO recently quit to focus on launching an app that will be more heavily reliant on AI.

The survey highlights a fine line between utilising the benefits of technology for matchmaking purposes while respecting human interaction. “Ask singles what they want from AI in dating, and the answer is pretty consistent: help with the hard parts, but hands off for the human parts,” Match Group said in their blog post.

The findings could be a wake-up call for app developers who are increasingly experimenting with AI in apps like Bumble’s suggestion that users could have personal bots that date other users’ bots. It remains to be seen whether such innovations will be socially acceptable or if they’ll just confuse everyone further.