Over the past decade or so, online dating has worked amazingly well to overturn stigmatic attitudes. Online dating sites are so popular now that millions of people use them to identify the most relevant matches. In 2019, online dating was among the fastest-growing industry, and it is expected to grow beyond $8.4 billion by 2024. While so many factors play a part in this unprecedented popularity of dating sites, I truly believe that the romance between dating sites and new technologies will continue to be the biggest reason why people are turning to the internet for matchmaking.
What Technologies Might Change the World of Online Dating?
Things have truly changed from how they were when our parents were in their 20’s and looking for a suitor. It is quite amazing how I can sign up to a dedicated platform and find a huge pool of potential partners dating online to choose from. While there is so much at play, I believe certain technologies are truly making online dating a lot more exciting and interesting.
Artificial Intelligence Algorithms
I have been using online dating sites for quite some time now, but what I have recently noticed is the sheer accuracy of these platforms in finding relevant matches. Artificial Intelligence or AI algorithms are responsible for this improved accuracy. The algorithm is mainly an extended subset of machine learning that enables a computer to operate on its own while gaining knowledge by running certain tasks.
AI algorithms in today’s world are truly amazing and do not just consider specific filters but also pay attention to your overall behavior to suggest matches. What really left me in awe was how accurately artificial intelligence was able to detect objects in images. With this technology, it is now easier for dating sites to connect you with people who share the same interests or upload photos containing one or more elements that match your criteria.
For music lovers, it is now easier to find profiles of people who play the guitar in their photos even if they do not mention it in their profile.
VR Technologies
Speaking of new technologies, I truly believe virtual reality (VR) is going to shape the future of online dating apps. With VR, we are now going to have a much more immersive remote social interaction, which cannot be matched by any other media. After looking into how people tend to socialize in the virtual space, I believe they will be pleasantly surprised to see how VR technologies change their dating experience and make it more intense and personal.
I have tried VR in other settings, and I believe it will be an instant hit in the dating industry because it is likely to invoke “presence” and the feeling of sharing the virtual space with your potential partner. I really cannot compare it to Skype or Facetime because VR dating is going to result in greater trust and satisfaction.
Moreover, I am also a firm believer that VR technology will improve dating by allowing users to play games together with the help of augmented reality. It is also going to be fun to travel to your partner’s favorite destination without even setting foot outside your home. It is surely going to take some time to enjoy all these features, but I have no doubt in my mind that we are headed in the right direction.
Metaverse
Speaking of virtual reality, it is hard not to talk about “Metaverse,” which sounds more like science fiction, but I believe it is going to be the future of finding dating partners online. Considering how quickly new technologies are making their way to our world, “Metaverse” is the brave new world of dating that is truly around the corner.
It is all about combining AI, VR, and other technologies to create a multi-sensory experience. If you ask me, I would always choose a platform that offers the ability to physically with my potential partner in a virtual environment. This ability is going to set the Metaverse apart from the traditional internet.
Now, the internet is a two-dimensional world that allows you to interact with others through little glass screens, but the Metaverse is going to be a three-dimensional universe designed to be accessed through VR headsets for lifelike interaction. The concept seems too good to be true now, but the world of dating will change forever when you will be able to go on a date and feel like you are sitting with your potential partner. It is much more than simply looking at your screen, and that makes the Metaverse the next big thing in the dating world.
The Competitive Race in the Digital Age
Dating sites that do not consider the importance of implementing new technologies to provide users with a satisfying dating experience will be forced to leave the race. Digital courtship has exploded with the popularity of smartphones, and not making dating sites accessible through these devices means users would go elsewhere to find a better experience. This leaves dating sites with a highly competitive race in the digital age.
If I compare modern-day dating sites with what I used to find a decade ago, I feel flabbergasted with how far they have come today. They have embraced the competition, and most of these apps are bolstered by swiping, location-tracking, and almighty algorithms. Add AI to the equation, and you get something even more productive and exciting.
App innovations have certainly increased the comfort level of online daters, and new things are going to happen still. Considering the competition, do not be surprised if you find it easy to go on VR dates in 2030 or have digital butlers find matches for you or get Siri-like matchmakers explaining all available romantic options.
Matching Algorithms Are Getting Smarter
Something we have all noticed about dating sites is how smart their matching algorithms have become. Gone are the days when dating sites had filters to find partners based on color, ethnic background, language, height, etc. Now, dating sites tune their matching algorithms to account for music taste, personality traits, attitude, beliefs, vaccination history, and much more.
Consider Tinder, and you will notice that they now assign scores to their users as a proxy for compatibility. They have switched to the TinVec approach, where they have embedded users’ preferences into vectors in order to leverage the number of swipes by Tinder users. Similarly, Togethe2night relies heavily on AI-enabled features to encourage users to meet in person after interacting online for a while. They also use location filters and suggest places for a first date that are equidistant from the partner’s physical location.
In the dating world, so many people do not truly understand what they want. This is when machine-learning tailor their matches to their actions rather than simply considering their stated desires. Smarter AI can consider how much time you spend using the app or the types of profiles you always look into and for how long. AI can access your chat content, determine how long you take to reply to your messages, and consider how you tend to swipe. With all this information, we should only see dating sites’ matching algorithms getting better from here.
Final Thoughts
It is an undeniable fact that modern dating is a far cry from how our grandparents were used to find partners. Instead of finding a mate on a night out or at work, we can rely on the internet and use technologically advanced dating sites for assistance. With so many technologies, expect matchmaking to become a lot more accurate and exciting, but be sure to pick the right platform to get you started.