Looking For Love In The Metaverse: Dating In the Age Of AI and VR

A recent survey shows people would be willing to shell out big bucks for AI-based dating apps that could connect them with their perfect partner. What does the future of dating look like, and how do the latest tech trends play a part?

Dating apps are big business, with over 1,500 dating apps and websites on the market today. Experts predict that the market for dating applications will reach $9.2 billion by 2025.

People worldwide are looking for ways to connect – and now it seems like smarter technology to enable those connections might be right around the corner.

The appetite for better apps is definitely increasing. In a recent survey by Tido, 47% of respondents said they would join an advanced, AI-based dating app to find a potential long-term partner.

Here are some of the findings from Tido’s survey:

• 54% of survey respondents said they would like AI assistance with finding a match based on personalized criteria
• 45% would like AI to recommend matches they will find physically attractive, based on a pre-submitted visual survey
• 46% want an app that can analyze their written bio and find someone with common interests

People are willing to pay to get access to AI-enabled matching, too. Nearly 40% of respondents said they would spend up to $40 a month on an AI dating app, and 25% said they would pay $40 to $80 a month.

How AI Might Power the Future of Dating

Tinder founder and chairman Sean Rad has stated that AI might be the “great simplifier” of future matchmaking. In an interview with Forbes, he described this scenario for how his company’s platform might help people connect in the future:

“I think A.I. is going to help make a world where you're sort of spending less time being inundated with sort of content and noise and more time focusing on quality and the answers. There might be a moment when Tinder is just so good at predicting the few people that you're interested in, and Tinder might do a lot of the legwork in organizing a date, right? So imagine you open Tinder one day and the Tinder assistant says, ‘You know, Sean, there's a beautiful girl, someone that you're going to find very attractive, down the street. You have a lot of things in common and your common friend is Justin and you're both free Thursday night and there's this great concert that you both want to go to, and can I set up a date? And here is a little bit more info about her.’ Whereas, right now I have to do a lot of work in swipe and chat in order to get to a quality moment where I go out there and have a wonderful date. You might get to the point where a lot of those nuances can be predicted for you and Tinder delivers the answer, instead of asking you to input as much as it does right now.”

Dating in the Metaverse

Interest in virtual partners – romantic connections that are primarily or even solely there for you in virtual reality – is also gaining steam. And with more and more companies jumping on board to help build the metaverse, this type of VR-based companionship can’t be too far off.

Chris Crew, the CEO of a game company called FireFlare Games, is currently developing Planet Theta, a VR-based dating app that’s expected to launch in 2022. The game will include a selection of settings (including a bar and a forest walk) where users can talk, meet, and potentially create lasting relationships. Planet Theta’s website says:

“These VR dating experiences are an opportunity for you to explore each other's personalities and passions. We are putting human connection at the forefront of dating again. Step foot onto Planet Theta and join the evolution.”