Justin McLeod turns away from swiping with new AI venture Overtone

McLeod, who stepped down from his CEO role at Hinge last year, frames Overtone as a departure from the industry status quo. He argues that current apps reduce individuals to static data points and shallow snapshots. The platform intends to move away from the dopamine-loop mechanics of infinite scrolling and algorithmic feeds, which contribute to the widespread user burnout documented in recent industry surveys.

Recent data suggests 78% of dating app users feel exhausted by the experience, spending nearly an hour daily without achieving meaningful connections. Overtone plans to address this by using AI to facilitate deep, voice-recorded insights rather than delegating the actual conversation to automated bots. The company is leaning on relationship science to explain the rationale behind each specific match to its users.

To guide this shift, McLeod has assembled a notable board featuring relationship expert Esther Perel, Match CEO Spencer Rascoff, and leadership advisor Diana Chapman. While the service remains in development, it faces a crowded market of newcomers like Ditto and Date Drop, all vying to move beyond the swiping paradigm. Overtone is scheduled to debut in select locations later this year.