1 in 3 Salt Lake City singles in a new Match survey have used AI in their quest for love, per data shared exclusively with Axios.

The big picture: Salt Lake tied with Denver for the largest share of respondents who turned to a bot in their dating life — either for direct companionship or help using a dating app.

• That's according to the nationwide "Singles in America" study, which surveyed over 5,000 people ages 18 to 98 this year.

The latest: This is the first year that the dating platform surveyed singles nationwide about using AI for companionship, Michael Kaye, communications director at Match Group, tells Axios.

• That's because of a surge in AI use in dating (333%) from last year, he adds.

By the numbers: 33% of single SLC respondents had "interacted with an AI companion," which Match defines as someone who's chatting with a bot for romantic or emotional intimacy or using AI to help them craft their dating profile or send messages.

Between the lines: Although the data doesn't distinguish between deliberately bonding with AI versus seeking its help — both are avenues for the artificial to touch the heart.

• Other users may not know they're crushing on someone for wit, earnestness or vulnerability generated by a machine.

The other side: Dating has pitted first impressions against brutal reality since the beginning of time.

What we're watching: Whether humans can live up to the expectations set by the bots that helped them get a foot in the door.

• And for those who find emotional satisfaction from a bot itself — whether the rise in AI companion apps leads to a jump in acceptance, like it did with online dating.

Share this story

Scrunch AI, a Salt Lake City-based startup aiming to boost companies' presence in AI search results, raised $15 million in Series A funding four months after announcing its seed-stage round, the business told Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: Companies must learn how to grab the attention of AI agents rather than just search engines.

• Decibel led the Series A, with participation from Mayfield and Homebrew.

How it works: Scrunch says it can help companies become more prevalent in AI searches and gives them a way to track how AI is portraying their brand. Over 500 brands use the platform, including Lenovo and Skims.

• A website aimed at grabbing human attention might have colorful videos and image carousels. But AI wants language that matches the profile of the consumer asking the question.
• Scrunch can create multiple parallel sites, converting images to language and optimizing for different AI models.

The intrigue: Generative AI's personalized answers make tracking a brand's portrayal for different consumers a special challenge.

• Scrunch uses a mix of strategies, including creating personas that match a brand's key customers. That can determine if Skims is being recommended to women in their 20s, and if the mention is positive or accurate.
• It can also see how often an agent visits a site, and how many referral visits a site receives from an AI search.
• "Our customers are seeing that [the rise of AI search] means they're getting fewer website visitors from humans, but the traffic they are getting is converting at a higher level," he says.

State of play: For companies and content creators, search engine optimization used to be the name of the game. Now, they're trying to understand what gets AI's attention.

If you need smart, quick intel on dealmaking, get Axios Pro Deals.

⚖️ A Utah judge dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the construction of a Latter-day Saints temple in Heber City, marking a win for the church. (KSL.com)

• A local referendum effort last year sought to overturn the city council's approval of the project, but failed to collect enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot.

🚫 Three Big Cottonwood Canyon trails will be closed until Oct. 30 as construction crews place snow-making pipes underground, per the U.S. Forest Service. (Salt Lake Tribune)

• The trails go to Lake Solitude and Twin Lakes Reservoir.

🥕 The Food Justice Coalition, a local nonprofit fighting food insecurity, may close amid sweeping changes and tightening eligibility requirements for SNAP. (KUTV)

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Salt Lake City for the annual Days of '47 Parade, celebrating the theme: "Pioneer Spirit — Pioneer Strong."

• As usual, many locals camped overnight to snag the best views of the lively and colorful floats.