Singapore Uses AI to Help Civil Servants Find Partners

The Singapore government has launched an unusual experiment: helping public sector employees find a partner. The pilot project, "FirstDate", uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to select potentially compatible couples.

The service is open to public sector employees aged 21 to 35. Roughly 158,000 people work in the public sector. The initiative comes against a demographic backdrop: in 2025 the total fertility rate hit a record low of 0.87 children per woman.

How FirstDate works

The service grew out of an internal hackathon. It uses the Gale-Shapley algorithm, named after Nobel laureates, and forms matches based on participants' questionnaire answers. The pilot is run by the agency GovTech. Its representatives told The Straits Times that no decision has been made on rolling out or expanding the service further. The first sign-up round closed on Monday, and the next registration opens on 20 October.

Practical considerations

Dating in Singapore is often tied to everyday concerns. About 80% of residents live in subsidised HDB flats, and single citizens can usually apply to buy one only after turning 35. A study found that 66.3% of unmarried citizens aged 21 to 34 live with close relatives.

Residents' views

Actor Tan Jie Hao says such a service could be a "nudge" toward new connections, though he is curious about the algorithm's accuracy. Social media manager Sheryl Dee would rather see more opportunities to meet naturally, such as in clubs and sports classes. Founder Rae Fang notes that limiting a service to citizens could hinder cross-cultural relationships.

Elsewhere in Asia

In 2024 Tokyo introduced a government-backed dating app that uses AI. By August it had about 17,000 registered users, 835 couples had become serious, and 316 had married. In South Korea, some local governments combine dating events with financial incentives.