Tokyo City Government Launches AI Dating App To Encourage Marriage

Illustration of a couple in Tokyo who want to try an AI-based dating app. (photo: Japan times)

Jakarta last week the Tokyo City government launched a new initiative to encourage marriage amid a decrease in the number of marriages and births. With the launch of an artificial intelligence-based dating application (AI), Tokyo hopes to provide modern solutions for singles looking for a life partner.

The app, which is planned to be released this spring, will ask potential users more than 100 questions, including questions about personal preferences and feelings-sharing conveniences. Unlike conventional dating apps, Tokyo plans to use big data from a response of more than 150,000 couples to suggest potential partners to users.

In addition, Tokyo will check prospective users through online interviews and request proof of their single status, adding a layer of security and trust to users. This approach is considered a necessary step to ensure application integrity and protect user privacy.

Policymakers in Tokyo are aware of the importance of providing innovative solutions to respond to the downward trend in marriage and birth. With a budget that is almost double for wedding support services in the coming fiscal year, the city government hopes to increase the success rate in helping singles find their life partner.

At the national level, the Japanese government also identified a declining birth rate as a serious problem that requires immediate action. With nearly a third of Tokyo men in their 50s unmarried and a large percentage of young people who have never been dating, these measures are considered important to address the demographic challenges facing Japan.

With this application, Tokyo hopes to create an easy entry point for those who want to get married but don't know where to go or are afraid to start. Thus, expectations radiate from the city government to stimulate the growth of marriage and birth, as well as provide modern solutions to complex demographic problems.