AI Dating Fun ChatGPT Matched Me With My Brother

ChatGPT could set your expectations for Tinder matches (Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)

ChatGPT certainly has its serious applications, but let's be honest, the ridiculous side is often far more entertaining. Its increasingly sophisticated image generation capabilities have paved the way for many intriguing, and often hilarious, uses. One such internet trend that recently caught my eye involves people using ChatGPT to generate images of their 'perfect match' based on their own photo.

The prompt often used is surprisingly simple. While one popular thread is titled 'ideal partner based on your photo so you can stay in your league,' the user who kicked off the trend simply asked, "Make a match for this guy now."

GPT will generate an image of an ideal partner based on your looks, so you can stay in your league. from r/ChatGPT

Some Interesting Results

If you scroll through the Reddit thread, the outcomes are a mixed bag, ranging from somewhat realistic to downright absurd. It seems ChatGPT has a particular fondness for facial hair when it's present in the source image.

Comment illustrating a result from r/ChatGPT

And according to ChatGPT, this poor soul is apparently destined for a life of solitude...

Comment suggesting someone is doomed to be alone from r/ChatGPT

Naturally, I had to try it myself. Keeping things simple, I uploaded my photo and asked ChatGPT to create a match for me. To its credit, ChatGPT did ask for more specifics:

"To create the best possible dating match image for this person, it would help if you could tell me a bit more about their preferences or personality traits—such as:

• Hobbies or interests
• Ideal personality traits in a partner
• Preferred style or fashion
• Any age range or gender preference"

"Alternatively, I can generate an image based on general visual harmony, complementary style, and setting if you'd prefer to leave it entirely up to me. Let me know!"

In the spirit of the original lazy prompters, I told ChatGPT to wing it. I'm not fussy.

My Perfect Match Is My Brother

Took a hasty pic of me outside the pub for this extremely scientific experiment (Image credit: Future)

Now, I don't have my brother's permission to splash his photo all over the internet, but trust me, the resemblance in the AI-generated image is uncanny. It seems that without more detailed information, ChatGPT simply decided to create a male version of me.

Me if I were younger and... male. (Image credit: Future)

What ChatGPT is likely doing here is analyzing the visual features of the input image to generate what it perceives as a visually complementary match. There's even some science behind this, known as the 'matching hypothesis'. This theory suggests that people are more inclined to form lasting relationships with others who are similarly attractive or socially desirable (in my case, similarly ginger, perhaps?).

I have a vague memory from a college Psychology assignment where we sliced up photos of couples and asked people to rate each individual's attractiveness to test this very hypothesis. It didn't definitively prove the theory – turns out attraction is a tad more complex than a single physical statistic – but it made for an interesting essay!

ChatGPT Decided What Windows Central's Staff Deserves

Generating my own match was amusing, but I decided to have a bit more fun by creating the perfect match for each member of the Windows Central staff. Unfortunately, I had to abandon this grand plan fairly quickly, as ChatGPT limits image uploads to four per session (and I'm not about to pay them with anything other than my personal data and daily musings).

Luckily, I have two accounts, which was just enough to target our Editors. For fairness, of course.

Daniel Rubino

He's really happy to be here, honest. (Image credit: Future)

Daniel Rubino's perfect match, as envisioned by AI, apparently exudes a taste for the finer things in life – someone who wouldn't hesitate to spend over $1000 on a watch. Yet, she's simultaneously fuming because she just paid a fortune for new decking, and he's hogging it to take glamour shots of his new Surface Pro 12-inch.

Jez Corden

A wild Jez appears (Image credit: Future)

Jez's perfect match looks a bit too comfortable in the great outdoors for someone in a relationship with a guy known for his crippling World of Warcraft addiction, but we'll roll with it. I'd say this one is pretty believable and, refreshingly, doesn't look like a weird sibling. I'm sure she also has some interesting predictions for the Xbox Showcase.

Rebecca Spear

Becca is our Gaming and News Editor, and can actually take handhelds apart without breaking them (unlike me) (Image credit: Future)

ChatGPT dubbed Rebecca's perfect man "smiling man in winter coat." Does he wear this year-round? Is her match doomed to a lifetime of overheating in July? I don't know, but I hope he has room in his pockets for one of her many, many gaming handhelds.

Ben Wilson

Rumor has it that Ben marks Black Friday and Prime Day on his calendar with a heart. (Image credit: Future)

Ben's match somehow came out looking like one of the Haim sisters. She also looks like she can recommend the best joystick for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and I sincerely hope she's not allergic to dogs.

Richard Devine

Richard has the Linux penguin tattooed somewhere on his body but won't tell us where (Image credit: Future)

There were certainly more professional pictures of Richard I could have chosen, but I couldn't resist this one. According to science (and ChatGPT), love is matching festive sweaters.

Zac Bowden

Zac Bowden now comes with built-in Microsoft Copilot (Image credit: Future)

Allegedly, Zac Bowden is also an editor, so I had to conjure up a girlfriend for him too. She's really excited about the latest changes to Microsoft Edge, and she's definitely judging you for moving the Windows 11 taskbar to the left, you silly Boomer.