New survey reveals more Indians are using AI to spice up their dating game during the festive season

As festive excitement fuels the desire to reconnect feel attractive and explore new connections Artificial Intelligence or AI it is popularly known is becoming an unexpected wingman There is something about the festive season that makes emotions feel a little stronger The lights the celebrations the sight of couples making memories and the return of old friends can stir feelings of nostalgia excitement and longingFor some it is the urge to reconnect with someone from the past for others it is the desire to meet someone new feel attractive or experience a little romantic excitement As social calendars fill up the need for companionship and attention can become more pronouncedA GleedenndashIPSOS survey of over 1500 respondents reveals how people in Delhi Mumbai Bengaluru and Hyderabad are navigating digital attraction and the fine line between flirting and microcheatingAI your new festive wingmanFor anyone hoping to make a connection during the festive season finding the right words can be half the battle Should the message be playful charming or direct How does one express interest without appearing too eagerThe survey found that 55 per cent of respondents in Delhi had used a conversational agent to improve their seduction techniques in the past 12 months The figures stood at 49 per cent in Mumbai 48 per cent in Hyderabad and 47 per cent in Bengaluru AI is also finding a place in the preparation that happens before the first message In Delhi 46 per cent of respondents had used AI in the past year to improve their dating or social media profile descriptions as had 46 per cent in Mumbai 35 pper cent in Bengaluru and 26 per cent in Hyderabad Meanwhile 46 per cent in both Delhi and Bengaluru had used it to optimise written exchanges with potential partners during the same periodThese findings suggest that AI is becoming a digital sounding board for people trying to make better first impressions Yet while a chatbot can suggest a witty opener it cannot manufacture chemistry The challenge is to use technology to express ones personality rather than create a personality that may be difficult to sustain offlineThe festive glowup comes with a filterOnce people step into the digital dating space another pressure emerges looking irresistible Festive dressing and photographs have always been part of the celebrations but social media can turn the process into a constant exercise in comparison The survey found that 75 per cent of respondents in Delhi and 72 per cent in Mumbai always or sometimes felt pressure to look irresistibly perfect on social media The corresponding figures were 60 per cent in Bengaluru and 58 per cent in HyderabadAI can help refine a profile or find the perfect caption but the pursuit of digital perfection can also make people more conscious of how they are perceived When every photograph and message is carefully curated the person behind the screen risks becoming secondary to the image being presented And when attraction is built around these carefully constructed impressions even ordinary online interactions can become emotionally complicatedOne heart emoji four different relationship rulesConsider a festive party photograph that attracts a flirty comment or a latenight conversation with an old acquaintance What one person considers harmless fun may make their partner uncomfortable This is where the concept of microcheating enters the conversation According to the survey 54 per cent of respondents in Mumbai considered flirtatious conversations on social media with someone other than their partner to be microcheating The figures were 51 per cent in Bengaluru 50 per cent in Delhi and 36 per cent in Hyderabad Other online behaviours also attracted differing responses Reacting to flirtatious stories with emojis was considered microcheating by 50 per cent of respondents in Delhi 45 per cent in Bengaluru 42 per cent in Mumbai and 40 per cent in Hyderabad Meanwhile 49 per cent in Delhi considered commenting on a seductive or flirtatious photograph of someone who was not their partner to be microcheatingThese differences reveal that digital boundaries are deeply personal As festive gatherings create opportunities to reconnect and social media activity increases conversations about trust and expectations become especially importantLet AI draft the message not define the relationshipldquoThe festive season often brings our emotions closer to the surface encouraging us to reconnect seek companionship and explore new possibilities AI can help people communicate more confidently but it cannot replace the trust emotional honesty and mutual understanding that meaningful relationships require Our survey findings also show that digital boundaries differ from person to person What one individual considers harmless flirting may be a breach of trust for another Technology should help people express themselves better not dictate how they experience relationshipsrdquo says Sybil Shidell who is the country manager for Gleeden IndiaAs the festive lights come on AI may help people find the right words improve their profiles and navigate awkward conversations But genuine connection still depends on authenticity respect and the willingness to communicate honestly This season let technology help with the introduction if needed The real magic however lies in what happens when the screens are put aside and two people connect on their own terms