AI is changing how people date

You know what else is coming this Sunday? The Super Bowl! And, thanks to legalization, it’s going to be the most gambled-on NFL championship in history. A very small amount of that wagering is from yours truly, by the way.

Despite being a Bucs fan who learned to hate the Eagles in the ‘90s, I’m pretty sure they’re going to beat the Chiefs this weekend, and it won’t even be close. In fact, I bet on them to win the Super Bowl before their last game was over — and thus got underdog odds for them to win the whole thing (+147, for you experts out there). Then I made separate bets for them to cover alternate spreads: 2.5, 6.5, 9.5, and 13.5.

Why am I so confident? Because as good as Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is, I agree with Insider’s Tyler Lauetta that Mahomes will be neutralized by the Eagles pass rush. They got 70 sacks in the regular season!

— Nicholas Carlson

In today’s edition: How AI is changing the way people date, get to know the Wordle editor, and how to spot the green comet (and Mars). If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. 

WEEKEND READS

AI dating, Wordle editor, & more

• AI is changing the way we date — albeit with varying results. One person told us they’re in a romantic relationship with a chatbot. One writer says dating an AI chatbot helped make their IRL relationship stronger. OKCupid says it’s using AI to generate some match questions. But ChatGPT’s game might be up for debate — see its “creepy” Tinder messages.
• “I’m the Wordle editor.” Tracy Bennett, an associate editor at the NYT, scored her dream job in 2020: making puzzles for a living. She told Insider she can’t wait to add words like “bling” and “latke,” and to look for a particularly difficult word in February. Find out more.
• Amazon Studios is having growing pains. Amazon spends big on film and TV, like “Citadel,” but insiders say creative confusion and tech bureaucracy could drive away talent and staff. Read our report here.
• “I built a five-bedroom home with my parents.” Jonathan C., 30, said building the house just outside San Diego wasn’t easy, but the affordability and peace it’s brought him means he’d recommend all of his friends do the same. Get the full story.
• Frustrated Magic: The Gathering. Fans of the classic card game say Hasbro is pumping out too much product, putting a strain on their wallets, and alienating some. More here.
• A TikToker has sparked a debate about wedding-invitation etiquette. She’s unsure whether it was an oversight or a slight that a bride she knows kept referring to her as simply a guest. “As a wedding planner, I can tell you this is intentional,” one commenter said. Read the full story.
• See the green comet and Mars side-by-side this weekend. The comet is shooting past Earth for the first time since the Ice Age, and it’s due to skim right past Mars in the night sky. Here’s how to see it.
• “Identity capital” is the key to getting your dream job and making friends in your 20s. The term is picking up steam on TikTok, and it could add both social and economic value to Gen Z and millennial lives. Go inside the trend here.
• A manager of 95 Phoenix Airbnbs is stunned that half his homes are sitting empty over Super Bowl weekend. Ric Kenworthy cut the nightly price on a home near the stadium by $700 — and it’s still not booked. It’s another sign that some areas are getting oversaturated with short-term rentals. More on that here.
• Sex workers are feeling the financial pain of an economic downturn. Research shows the sex industry craters in a recession, as consumers pull back from spending. Workers say they feel burned out, as clients are looking for a compassionate ear. Read the full story.

‘Ultimate Family Townhouse’

A little slice of Italy

The championship of advertising

“Risky Business”

• “Agriculture, in particular ranching, is known to continue to be a risky job. It is due to the handling of livestock, mostly based on cattle though horses can be [classified as] dangerous when people fall, get bucked off, or kicked.” – JoAnn
• “By far the worst outcomes for workers that I witnessed was the production of rattan/wicker furniture. The workers weave the rattan together by hand and it absolutely ruins their hands after only a few years in many cases.” – Shuyler
• “Wildland firefighters risk their lives every year to save lives, property, infrastructure, natural resources, and many other valuable assets. … Every year, wildland firefighters die on firelines, along with pilots and other personnel who are trying to save lives, homes, etc.” – Jessica
• “As a teenager I was a bike messenger in Manhattan for a few years. Only had one incident that put me in the hospital.” – Yevgeny

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This edition was curated by Nicholas Carlson, and edited by Nathan Rennolds, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan, Dave Smith, and Jordan Parker Erb. Get in touch: insidertoday@insider.com.