Dating Apps Use Artificial Intelligence and DNA to Find Mates And Also Watch Out for Scammers

January 16, 2020 – Demetrius Harrison has once more provided us with an interesting blog posting describing the world of online dating apps and some of the perils that come along for the ride in your pursuit of the “meant to be” one. My wife and I didn’t have to use a dating app to get hitched. Our equivalent was the blind date where two of our friends got together to play matchmaker and set us up for our first encounter. It wasn’t quite the ideal setting for a first meet, two tickets to a musical revue in which some of my original music was featured. My brother was the music director, and unbeknownst to me, and my future wife put us in seats right in a row in front of where my parents and other brothers were sitting. Despite the “sabotage” we managed to overcome my mother’s dating choice assessment (never good by the way) and went on to become engaged and marry. In May we will celebrate our 47th anniversary.

Our daughter, on the other hand, found the love of her life on a matchmaking site and has been happily married for more than five years. So there is promise in dating sites, and now with artificial intelligence (AI) in the mix, who knows, maybe the next person you’ll meet will be an avatar backed up by a sophisticated computer mind, or maybe it will be a perfect match set up by algorithms. 

Seriously, however, the topic Demetrius has chosen to write about along with the accompanying infographic will reveal some aspects of online dating of which you may be unaware. As always your comments are welcomed.

AI isn’t new, but its use in online dating platforms is a recent innovation. When addressing platforms like Tinder, Bumble, PlentyofFish, and more, AI is being used to enhance matching, to detect fraud, to improve filtering, and more.

The technology can relieve the pressure of the journey in the search for love.

At its simplest, online-dating-AI can broaden the number of profiles a user sees. In complexity, AI can tailor a user’s feed showing them only profiles that are “their type.” Even DNA is being used to hitch people together although the bugs in matching based on the double helix is more in its infancy than the use of AI.

Here is a break down of how AI is technologizing romance.

Let’s start with safety.

In a recent survey, 59% answered that they believe online dating is a great way to meet people. Since 2005 online dating is up 44%. Almost 35 million Americans have tried it and e-dating has become a new way for some to commit fraud with fake profiles. As a result, application developers are improving safety within e-dating platforms using AI.

AI algorithms can detect what a fake profile looks like. It automatically can scan for names it believes are fake, for low-quality photos that it believes are duped, for fake phone numbers, and more. An AI algorithm developed in the United Kingdom spots fake dating profiles and ensures users of the site are only subjected to a 1% false-positive rate. With features like this, the chance of being fooled is greatly diminished.

Dating sites like Badoo have a “look-alike” feature which allows users to browse profiles to find similar people to persons in photos you’ve uploaded. For example, upload a celebrity and browse to find a face that resembles them. The is “image-matching technology,” which can categorize 160 different facial features, from chin size to eyebrow style and finds faces that resemble a favorite actor, musician, sports star, and even politician.

Tinder uses an AI-enhanced filter. Under “Edit Info” there is a setting for “Smart Photos.” This an AI-supported feature that tests all your profile photos and picks the best one to show first. Tinder provides 9 profile photos and the ability to reorder them using hold, drag, and drop. And with Tinder Plus, users of the site can take advantage of profile boosting, an AI enhancement, that systematically increases profile exposure and, therefore, a theoretically a greater likelihood of finding a match.

Enter the use of DNA to find the future partner in your life. If you have a scientific perspective on romance this may be something you might consider. With a sample of your DNA sent for analysis, developers promise to match it to a suitable mate.

In Vancouver, British Columbia, a new matchmaking startup called DNA Romance promises to DNA-based compatibility matches in 30 minutes. The matches are based aligning two DNA samples for genes that govern the immune system response. These, the dating site states, are associated with human attraction with the science claiming the pairing of genes finds opposites do attract.

And how about a dating app that is entirely voice-operated and asks you personal questions? That’s what Denver-based AIMM does to find personalities that are compatible and then tell you about them before you meet. It is currently being tested on 1,000 users.

But before you get caught up in the swirl of potential online romance, check out the accompanying infographic which outlines online dating safety practices that could save you both money and heartbreak.