In his latest book, “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow,” Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari, predicts that algorithms will soon work more effectively than the human brains that create them.
In particular, he envisions a time when love-algorithms will eliminate all the agony of dating and mating by matching you up with the one person with whom you are best suited to spend eternity.
Scoff if you like, but that day may be closer than you think.
I recently read an article titled, “Should You Always Swipe Right on Tinder?” which explains there’s a Tinder algorithm that plays a major role in who you get matched with on the dating app. It keeps track of the average time it takes you to respond to a message, the quality of the images you upload and the chance you’ll write a first message based on the desirability of the match.
According to Zainab Mohiuddin, a blogger at Tinderella Worldwide, Tinder gives you an Elo score to calculate your attractiveness. This is based on the percentage of people that like you as a whole, the percentage of matches you get and the Elo score of those who match with you.
She further explains that this E scloore determines who will be shown your profile. “If you’re a 7, you won’t be shown to 4’s, but neither will you be shown to a 9.”
If all of this is a little “Star Trekkie” for your taste, you should know that the algorithms used by dating apps are not yet perfected.
Dale Markowitz, a former OKCupid engineer, says that most dating apps optimize their algorithms based on how often people press “like” buttons, message each other or exchange contact information, which may not predict actual relationship success. He adds that algorithms might be able to gauge attractiveness but not compatibility.
To do that, you probably need some old fashioned, face-to-face interaction.
For now, that is.
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