The Online Dating Industry Loves Artificial Intelligence

Millennials have become a growing force in society. Compared to their predecessors, the generation that grew with the Internet and electronic devices is considered more adept at adapting to new ideas and more open-minded regarding the unconventional. When it comes to Millennial relationships, online dating is a rapid-growing industry, with more than 1500 dating apps and websites operating around the world. According to Statista, online dating industry revenues reached US1.66 billion in 2019 and are expected to continue growing at an annual rate of 4.2 percent until 2023.

Instead of having users simply swipe through headshots, many new dating apps and online platforms are leveraging artificial intelligence to introduce a variety of novel approaches to smart matchmaking.

AI Personal Love Coach – Lara by Match

An online dating pioneer, Match.com has closely followed the AI trend. The company’s “Lara” is an AI dating chatbot designed to help users locate love with romantic suggestions based on an analysis of up to 50 factors such as astrological sign, imperfections, hobbies, etc. Lara uses natural language learning (NLP) to communicate with users using colloquial terms, guiding them through profile settings and tweaking match recommendations based on follow-up conversations.

Gene Matchmaking – DNA Romance

DNA Romance is an online platform with a more sci-fi character that uses AI to match users with potential partners based on their genes. Users “spit” a saliva sample that they hope will land them their Mr. or Mrs. Right. DNA Romance attempts to link users’ DNA data with personality data based on the Myers–Briggs test (which can identify 16 personality traits), and recommends potentially compatible partners by calculating a gene-match score.

AI-Based Love Games – Desire

A more intimate approach is the Desire app, which creates real-life love games for date nights. Desire skips the opening stages of matchmaking to focus on spicing up existing relationships, providing personalized, sexy “challenges” for couples. The app analyzes users’ thinking styles, decision-making processes, and behaviors to create intelligent game dynamics tailored to the partners’ desires to both rekindle cooling relationships and boost satisfaction for new couples.

AI’s increasing application in online dating is impacting how humans interact and approach relationships. If AI can help people pinpoint love in today’s fast-paced world it is through more selective and calculated matchmaking processes aimed at unlocking the mysteries of human compatibility.

AI’s immersion in online dating is also changing human-computer interactions. Apps like Match and Desire are taking the roles of personal love coaches for Millennials who are more comfortable expressing their true selves to computers than to other humans. These private and honest interactions between humans and computers may lead to better online dating experiences and enhance human-human relationships.

Author: Hongxi Li | Editor: Michael Sarazen