4 Predictions on the Future of Dating from Futurist Ross Dawson

February 7, 2019

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Incredible technologies like AI wingmen and facial-recognition hookups are on the horizon.

On Valentine’s Day last year, our site’s publisher, international futurist Ross Dawson, appeared on Australia’s Today Extra TV show and shared his intriguing views on the future of dating. With the lovers’ holiday fast-approaching again, we wanted to revisit his predictions since they remain salient 12 months later.

As both the Founding Chairman of Future Exploration Network, which works with leading organizations to create and ensure their successful futures, and the publishing firm Advanced Human Technologies, Dawson has been a keynote speaker for many major corporations such as Google, Coca-Cola, Visa, Procter & Gamble, and American Express.

On his morning show appearance, Dawson offered four mind-blowing predictions involving virtual reality, artificial intelligence, DNA testing, and even facial recognition.

With them, he described a possible future in which romance, relationships, and love are completely transformed by technology.

If you are based in Australia, you can head to the 9NOW website and watch Dawson deliver these incredible insights. Below we’ve also shared his most intriguing points as well as his speculations on what to expect in the years ahead.

1. Dating in virtual reality

According to Dawson, virtual reality will have a massive impact on how people find companionship.

Pointing to the rise of immersive social networks Bigscreen and AltspaceVR, he expects VR dating platforms will not only help lonely souls find potential partners more easily but let them do so in safer, albeit, artificial environments.

A recent media example of this emerging trend is the Facebook reality show Virtually Dating, in which contestants have their first dates in virtual reality before deciding whether or not to meet in the real world.

2. Artificially intelligent wingmen

Artificial intelligence will also facilitate the dating process, but not simply as a high-tech matchmaking tool. Beyond helping people find possible love connections, “AI wingmen” will accompany hopefuls on their dates and act as coaches as the encounter unfolds.

Dawson speculated that, just as dating apps like Tinder use artificial intelligence to enhance dating results, a new generation of AI will eventually read and analyze a potential date’s profile and then offer tips on what to talk about, wear, and do during a potential first meeting with the person.

3. DNA matchmaking

DNA testing may one day become a powerful tool that disrupts the dating world. While Dawson noted there isn’t yet a scientific consensus, studies suggest that DNA compatibility may be an important factor in determining sexual and romantic attraction.

Already the companies Pheramor and GenePartner provide DNA testing to match clients up with suitable dates.

4. Facial-recognition hookups

Lastly, Dawson referred to dating sites that use facial recognition technology, such as Badoo, Dating.ai, and FaceFind, to speculate that more and more people will use such tools to find potential mates based on their preferences for certain physical attributes.

The future of love and intimacy

Thanks to today’s dating sites and apps, the pool of potential partners you can meet has grown considerably. The use of new and emerging technologies, such as those discussed by Dawson, are also starting to help play matchmaker, making it easier for people to find a date with someone with similar interests.

This is especially significant for individuals who may have struggled to find love. Physical isolation, unique tastes and preferences, or other factors that may have once reduced your shot at romance may not matter much in the years ahead.

Of all the good future technologies could do for the dating world, one of the most valuable gifts they will give will be hope to those searching for love.

Image sources: 9NOW, Virtually Dating

M. Christian

M.Christian (they/them) loves nothing better than exploring the intersections of sex and technology—and speculating on the future of both. A highly regarded erotica writer they have six novels,12 collections, 100+ short stories, and 25 anthologies as an editor to their name. Their non-fiction regularly appears in many sites, but they're most proud of being a regular contributor to Future of Sex.

Of their erotic fiction, Tristan Taormino said that “M.Christian is a literary stylist of the highest caliber: smart, funny, frightening, sexy—there's nothing [they] can't write about… and brilliantly.”

Reflecting their unique ability to sympathetically and convincingly write for a range of genders and sexual orientations, their stories have appeared in multiple editions of Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, The Mammoth Books of Erotica, and others. Their collection of gay erotic fiction, Dirty Words, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.

While a majority of their stories have been collected into books like Dirty Words, their fondness for combining sex and science fiction is clearly evident in collections that include Rude Mechanicals, Technorotica, Better Than The Real Thing, Skin Effect Effect, Bachelor Machine, and Hard Drive: The Best Sci-Fi Erotica of M.Christian.

As a novelist, M.Christian’s versatility is on full display with Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Brushes, Painted Doll; and the somewhat controversial queer BDSM/horror/thrillers Finger's Breadth, and Me2.

M.Christian has worked on the industry’s production side as an Associate Publisher for Renaissance E Books and as a Publisher for Digital Parchment Services. The latter dedicated to celebrating the works of science-fiction legends such as William Rotsler, Jerome Bixby, Jody Scott, Arthur Byron Cover, Ernest Hogan, and James Van Hise.

Covering topics like BDSM safety, sexual education, senior sexuality concerns, queer and gender issues, plus reviewing a variety of sex tech products, M.Christian’s non-fiction has appeared on sites like Kinkly, Tickle.Life, Sexpert, Queer Majority, Sex for Every Body, and—of course—their ongoing work for Future of Sex.

If there’s anything M.Christian enjoys more than writing, it’s teaching. A featured presenter, sometimes with their friend Ralph Greco Jr, at national sex and BDSM events, they have lectured on kink play (with an emphasis on safety), polyamory, boosting sexual creativity, and erotica writing--for beginners or those wanting to go pro.

M.Christian is a cohost on two popular sex-education podcasts: Love’s Outer Limits with Dr. Amy Marsh and Licking Non-Vanilla with Ralph Greco, Jr.