On Danni Smith’s first date with Kev, she made a few disclosures and expected him to skol his beer and wish her well – but his response surprised her

• Find more stories from the moment I knew series

In September 2023 I’d been divorced for about a year. At 59 I thought to myself, “surely there’s got to be a little bit more love that I could give in my life”. But I was also keenly aware that not many people find romance organically these days.

I gave Bumble a go, had some pretty average dates and thought it wasn’t for me, but I decided to give it one last shot. It was Kev’s smile and his eyes that caught my attention. His profile said travel was really important to him, which gave me a bit of a laugh because I have huge anxiety issues around holidaying of any sort. We exchanged a few texts and decided to arrange a date. It was nothing fancy, just a few drinks at a bar in a bayside suburb of Melbourne.

Almost 40% of British singles have used AI for romantic advice, from writing messages to assessing potential partners

After Sam’s ex joked that her sister found him ugly, he turned to AI. Google Gemini had a look at the photo and politely disagreed. AI has been his wingman ever since, aiding his dating life by giving pep talks and vetting his messages.

The 27-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent is not the only AI-assisted romantic – a survey of 3,000 British singles published this month by Match Group, the owner of the Tinder and Hinge platforms, found 39% had used AI in their dating lives.

Nelson, 41, who works in legal services, meets Louise, 37, who works in marketing

What were you hoping for?
Great company and wonderful conversation.