Glossary

AI dating, defined.

The jargon around AI dating, explained in plain English — and what each term actually means on Lamp.

Plain-English definitions of AI matchmaking, AI dating assistants and personality-based matching.

AI matchmaking

AI matchmaking uses machine learning to estimate compatibility from who you are, then introduces people who fit.

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AI dating assistant

An AI dating assistant helps you write your bio, openers and date ideas — it suggests, you decide.

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Personality-based matching

Personality-based matching pairs people on values, temperament and goals — who they are, not how they photograph.

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Compatibility-based matching

Compatibility-based matching pairs people on shared values and personality — among the best-evidenced predictors of a lasting relationship.

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Values-based dating

Values-based dating matches on what you believe and want from life — the best-evidenced basis for lasting compatibility.

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Swipe fatigue

Swipe fatigue is the burnout from endless swiping; Lamp removes it by introducing a curated few instead.

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Dating pool

Your real dating pool is the compatible people who want the same thing as you — not how many profiles exist.

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Paradox of choice in dating

The paradox of choice in dating: more profiles make choosing harder and satisfaction drops as options multiply.

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Value congruence

Value congruence is the alignment of core values between two people — among the best-evidenced predictors of lasting satisfaction.

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Similarity-attraction

Similarity-attraction: people are consistently more attracted to those who share their values, attitudes and outlook.

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Situationship

A situationship is a romantic connection with no defined commitment — relationship-adjacent but deliberately undirected.

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Ghosting

Ghosting is abruptly cutting off all contact with someone you are dating, with no explanation or closure.

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Breadcrumbing

Breadcrumbing is sending just enough contact to keep someone interested while offering no real commitment or direction.

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Intentional dating

Intentional dating means being clear about what you want from a relationship and choosing a partner on that basis.

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Slow dating

Slow dating is the practice of fewer, higher-quality introductions — giving each connection the attention it deserves.

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Chemistry vs compatibility

Chemistry is the immediate spark; compatibility is the shared foundation that sustains a relationship long-term.

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Dating burnout

Dating burnout is the exhaustion, cynicism and disengagement that accumulates from sustained high-volume swipe-app use.

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Love bombing

Love bombing is overwhelming someone with intense affection early on to manufacture attachment before trust is earned.

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Attachment styles

Attachment styles are patterns of relating in close relationships — secure, anxious, avoidant or disorganised — shaped by early experience.

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Emotional availability

Emotional availability is the capacity to be genuinely present, open and consistent in a developing relationship.

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Relationship readiness

Relationship readiness is the emotional capacity, clarity of intent and circumstances that allow someone to build a real relationship.

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Decision fatigue

Decision fatigue in dating is the depletion of judgement quality that comes from evaluating too many profiles in sequence.

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Future faking

Future faking is making grand promises about a shared future to deepen attachment, with no intention of following through.

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Green flags

Green flags in dating are positive, evidence-based signs of healthy compatibility and genuine relationship readiness.

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Red flags

Red flags in dating are warning signs of incompatibility or unhealthy relational patterns that predict future problems.

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AI dating app

An AI dating app uses artificial intelligence to model compatibility and introduce genuinely suited people — replacing a swipe feed.

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Wish (Lamp)

A Wish on Lamp is a plain-English description of your ideal match and relationship, fed directly into your AI compatibility model.

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Genie (Lamp)

Genie is Lamp's built-in AI dating assistant — it suggests bios, openers and date ideas; it never sends on your behalf.

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Benching

Benching is keeping someone as a backup — minimal contact to hold their interest, never to commit.

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Cuffing season

Cuffing season is the autumn-winter tendency to seek a short-term partner for seasonal companionship.

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Orbiting

Orbiting is ending direct contact while still watching and engaging with someone's social media.

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Zombieing

Zombieing is when a ghoster reappears weeks or months later, ignoring their disappearance.

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Soft-launching

Soft-launching is hinting at a new relationship on social media before making it fully public.

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Micro-cheating

Micro-cheating is small acts of emotional or flirtatious unfaithfulness that violate trust without physical infidelity.

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Paperclipping

Paperclipping is sporadic, low-effort reappearance to reset someone's attention — then vanishing again.

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Beige flags

Beige flags are profile traits that are neither red nor green — just bland or unremarkable.

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Swipe economy

Dating apps' business model: profiting from your attention and time, not from your relationship.

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Is Lamp legit?

Lamp is a legitimate dating app by Codewise Ltd, a registered company live on the Apple App Store.

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Secure attachment

Secure attachment is a relationship style comfortable with both closeness and independence, widely linked to lasting partnerships.

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Anxious attachment

Anxious attachment is a relationship style marked by worry about a partner's availability and fear of abandonment.

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Avoidant attachment

Avoidant attachment is a relationship style that highly values independence and tends to pull back from emotional closeness.

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Desirability score (dating app ELO)

A desirability score is a hidden app ranking built from swipe popularity, not compatibility — Lamp doesn't use one.

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Dating app algorithm

A dating app algorithm decides who you see and who sees you — most optimise for engagement, not your relationship.

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Compatibility matching

Compatibility matching pairs people on personality, values and goals — not photos — the best-evidenced basis for a lasting relationship.

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Free on the App Store

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Every night on a swipe app is a night away from someone who shares your values and the future you are building. Lamp finds them; Genie helps you open. Free on iPhone.

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The Lamp app open on an iPhone, showing a curated match