Match Group, which operates dating apps like Tinder and Hinge, is tightening its approval process for artificial intelligence spending across the company, aiming to maximize return on investment in the coming year. According to Chief Financial Officer Steve Bailey, this new paradigm marks a significant shift from the company's previous approach of "accelerating AI pilots with nearly unlimited budgets."

"We are setting a higher bar," Bailey said in an interview last week. "Now, before approving any substantial AI tool expenditure, I require a business case to be submitted that clearly outlines its specific impact on cost savings or efficiency gains."

The new policy applies across the entire company, including the finance team led by Bailey himself, which has already launched several AI initiatives. Bailey noted that in the tax area, AI has achieved some results: "We have automated some of the more manual, repetitive data collection processes through AI." For example, as the company operates in about 190 countries, AI is used to track changing VAT rates in various countries.

Beyond tax, the investor relations team also uses AI to sift through analyst reports and investor feedback. Bailey said: "We don't use AI to write earnings reports—I know some companies have tried at least drafting them—but we use it to analyze a large volume of reports about our company. I think that counts as a success story."

Financial planning and analysis is an area Bailey sees as having huge potential for experimentation, but he admitted: "We are probably still in the very early stages."

According to survey results released in October by financial software maker OneStream, CFOs are facing pressure from boards and investors to deliver tangible results from AI spending, while also dealing with significant obstacles. The survey showed that 97% of CFOs surveyed said their boards expect regular updates on AI investment progress, with cost savings (66%), return on investment (65%), and productivity gains (63%) being the most frequently cited metrics.

Meanwhile, the study's press release noted that AI talent shortages, inconsistent data quality, and integration challenges continue to slow progress, "making it difficult for CFOs to link growing budgets to measurable business outcomes."

As for Match Group itself, according to Bailey, the company had previously sought to move quickly on AI projects to maintain a "cutting-edge position." Bailey took on his current role in March of this year, having previously held various financial leadership positions at the company. He said: "We have been pushing teams to try a large number of tools, learn, experiment, and see what works."

This year, the finance department "basically approved all AI projects" without requiring a business case, involving amounts in the millions of dollars. Bailey said: "You just had to go through procurement, legal review, and security review to get started." So far, results have been mixed, with some of the biggest gains coming from AI-driven product enhancements.

In August, Match Group announced in its second-quarter earnings that a new AI feature on Hinge had driven a 15% increase in user "matches and conversation exchanges" since its launch in March. Bailey said: "For our business, this is significant. It brings real revenue and user impact, and we would do it around the clock." He also said AI has greatly boosted the productivity of engineering teams, making the process of writing and editing software code faster and easier.

However, overall, despite the massive hype surrounding the technology, the company has not yet seen "a lot of real impact" from AI on the operational side. The finance chief said: "By 2026, our point is that there is now an extra step in the process. You must submit a business case on the impact this tool will have on your department and the broader business—whether it's revenue growth, user impact, or cost savings. Then the finance team will decide whether that return on investment justifies the expenditure."