A 2026 CHI Conference study of 113 online daters found AI-written bios and messages are common and "seldom disclosed to meeting partners to avoid romantic rejection." The researchers argue that because informed consent is what separates sex from sexual assault, an undisclosed AI-shaped persona can leave a partner's consent misinformed, the same territory as hidden STI status or secretly removed condoms; that is their framing, not a legal finding.
Dating coaches are split. A February 2026 Arrows survey found blind readers preferred AI-written bios over human ones, 36 percent to 24 percent, yet 58 percent call AI use in a profile or message "digital catfishing."
The fix isn't banning the help. It's saying who had it, before the polish becomes the reason someone agreed to meet you.
