September 8, 2025

Imagine meeting five complete strangers for dinner on a warm San Francisco evening, feeling excited not nervous. This is what JT Mason, a 25-year-old paramedic, experienced thanks to an app called 222. Unlike usual dating apps, 222 is all about showing "the actual human being," not just images on a screen. Before the dinner, JT filled out a long questionnaire about his values, interests, and even drug tolerance. After they ate, the group moved to a stylish private bar, hoping to spark friendships or something deeper. Everyone who joins can later tell the app whom they want to see again—or not—and explain why. The cool part? 222’s smart artificial intelligence learns and improves after several meetups like dinners, yoga classes, or even improv sessions. JT said, "As far as AI getting to the point of understanding human chemistry, I think they're pretty far off," but added, "it can serve as the first step in getting us to the table to try to create that connection." The man behind 222 is 26-year-old entrepreneur Keyan Kazemian. He wants to help people not only meet but build strong, lasting relationships. His experience working with Match Group (which owns Tinder and Hinge) showed him that most apps care only about getting you to "swipe right" on someone new. But Keyan believes technology can do more than just match photos—it can match real people. Why is this so important? Because loneliness is becoming a real epidemic. In 2017, then US surgeon general Vivek Murthy warned about a "loneliness epidemic." In 2023, he said that social disconnection is as harmful as "smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," even worse than obesity or lack of exercise. It raises risks of heart disease, depression, and dementia. Factors like fading community spaces, addictive social media, and the pandemic have made it harder to connect. Isabella Epstein knows this struggle well. When she moved to New York in 2021, she "tried everything" to make friends, from apps to clubs, but it was tough. "It was an emotionally challenging period for me," she said. She even started talking to strangers in coffee shops and on the street. Her friendly chats led to hundreds of contacts and eventually organizing events like happy hours and pickleball games. To help others, she quit banking and launched "Kndrd," an app for women under 40 in New York to find partners for activities. Other apps like Timeleft, Plots, and Realroots are also popping up, aiming to bring people together in real life, not just online. Investor Felix-Olivier Ngangue said, "The positive side of these apps is that their business model doesn't rely on time spent online. It's in their interest for people to meet in real life." So, whether it’s 222, Kndrd, or others, the message is clear: real human bonds matter more than endless swiping. Thanks to AI and clever new apps, the lonely digital world might just have found a new spark for genuine friendship and connection.

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Tags: Social connection, Ai matching, Loneliness epidemic, New apps, Friendship, Mental health,