tech
Grindr CEO says AI is doing work that would have required hiring 200 additional engineers
Grindr CEO George Arison said that AI had increased its engineering output 2.5-fold. Without AI, he said the company would need 200 more engineers.
TL;DR
- Grindr CEO George Arison estimates AI increased engineering output by 2.5x between July 2025 and April 2026.
- This productivity gain, potentially higher than initially stated, would have otherwise required around 200 additional engineers and $60 million in annual costs.
- Grindr measured engineering output by the amount of code shipped, a metric that has drawn criticism.
- The company is spending $6 million on AI tokens this year, with the CEO emphasizing ROI over token cost.
- AI allows Grindr to keep its exceptional engineers focused on areas requiring human creativity and judgment.
- Despite industry concerns about AI and layoffs, software engineering job openings have increased.