The world of online dating will change rapidly in the future. What is now known as matching , which uses questions and psychological evaluations to find a suitable partner via an algorithm, will in the future be replaced by DNA matching, virtual reality (VR), biotechnology or artificial intelligence (AI) .
Does that scare us? Yes a little. Because the sentence “We are meant for each other” takes on a whole new meaning. Find a suitable partner through DNA matching?
This gives the future of online dating a whiff of clinical pathology. You don't necessarily have to like it, but it's always exciting to be aware of the possibilities.
Today, modern technology turned the world of dating into an always-available virtual machine. What used to be coincidence or destiny is now a series of virtual profiles, characteristics, emails and matching. Apps like Tinder , Once , Happn, Grindr and other dating apps reduce the selection of possible partners to photos without text in a never-ending sequence.
Overwhelmed? Perhaps. But only those who have time for it can go back to the “normal” search for a partner in the supermarket, in cafés or at parties. And very few people have them today and in the future.
Photo by Samuel Zeller (Switzerland)
But what will online dating look like in the future? Can there still be a virtual improvement? Yes, it can. And it will. According to a new report, by 2040 over 70 percent of people will use an online dating platform.
They are supported in this by the “Internet of Things” (also known as IoT) – real conditions can be felt, measured and represented online.
For example, with behavior-based matching : Wearable devices can be used to find people with their individual behavior patterns that are very close to your own behavior pattern.
This means that you no longer have to look for a suitable partner for a long time - it is practically handed to you on a platter thanks to the “Internet of Things”.
But that's not enough. For example, people who are looking for a healthy partner with similar genes will soon be able to use DNA matching: DNA tests will become increasingly cheaper in the future, so these tests could soon be offered on online dating platforms.
The ideal, healthy partner with similar or very good genes can then no longer be found just by chance, but through DNA matching . Portals such as GenePartner or ScientificMatch are already taking this approach and expanding traditional matching based on scientific genetic data to determine people's DNA compatibility.
The simulation of sensory impressions will also play a role in choosing a partner in the future: all five human senses will be able to be digitally simulated, making it possible to represent a virtual reality that no longer makes it necessary to meet the potential partner in the real, analogue world . You can then easily smell, feel, hear, touch and taste others from the sofa.
Choosing a partner becomes an easy task. And simulating sensory impressions would also be a nice advance for long-distance relationships, because being able to feel and smell the other person when you live far away will certainly make a long-distance relationship more stable.
Artificial intelligence will also be used as another future virtual reality Highly complex data, such as the evaluation of the other person's feelings and body language, can be evaluated within a very short time and made available in real time.
This quick analysis of the other person makes it easier for the person looking for a partner to make a decision as to whether the date could actually be a possible partner who is suitable for them.
So we have not yet reached the end of the virtual partner search . The future of online dating seems scary at first glance and is somewhat reminiscent of The Bride of Frankenstein, but upon closer inspection it is only the logical consequence of our digital networking and virtual progress.
Further information on this topic can be found in the study “Omni-Dating: The Future of Digital Dating” future institute , which was created LoveScout24 The news site The Telegraph and the Telepolis , run heise online, have also dedicated themselves to the topic.
What's your opinion? Blessing or the beginning of the end?
