Is Goose, the Grindr alternative, using fake AI-generated dates to lure gay men? - Advocate.com

In July 2026, investigations emerged suggesting that the dating app Goose—marketed as a social-first alternative to platforms like Grindr—may have employed AI-generated profiles to recruit users. The app, founded by Derek Chadwick and David Aliagas, promised a curated community but faced scrutiny over the authenticity of its promotional accounts.

What happened

An investigation by WIRED identified a pattern of suspicious Instagram accounts used to recruit men to the Goose platform. These accounts often exhibited abnormal follower-to-following ratios and displayed faces that appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence. One user, Ryan Cheam, reported interacting with an account named @alistaircrombbie, which appeared to be a normal individual until it began pushing him to join the Goose "curated network."

Evidence further linked the app's leadership to the recruitment strategy, as WIRED found an account associated with co-founder David Aliagas offering payment for "finstas"—fake Instagram accounts. These AI-generated personas were used to direct potential users toward the app, which at its peak reached the number four spot on the Apple App Store's Lifestyle category.

Following the reports, many of the identified Instagram accounts were deactivated or set to private. While a spokesperson for Goose denied the use of fake users and claimed the team hand-picks invites to ensure a safe community, the incident highlights broader concerns regarding the use of AI avatars in marketing, particularly when the product itself is a social network based on human connection. The practice of using AI to impersonate real people for commercial gain faces strict scrutiny under Federal Trade Commission guidelines and various state regulations.