Artificial Lovers: A Quarter of Young People Would Date Robots

As technology advances, so does the realm of dating.

A British survey on how people feel about the future was conducted by ComRes in the lead up to FutureFest, a festival of future ideas. Up to 1,002 British adults were interviewed online.

Of these adults, a quarter of young people aged 18 to 34 said they would date a robot if they could, one, ensure a perfect match, and, two, not tell the difference between dating a robot and a human. 16% of adults aged 35 to 54 said they would also date a robot, whilst only 10% of adults over 55 also agreed.

“Our bodies, our identities, and our senses are enhancing thanks to technology and societal shifts,” said Ghislaine Boddington, curator of Future Love at FutureFest.

DNA dating

In the same survey, participants were asked if they would agree to use DNA matching or pheromone matching to help find a suitable partner in the future, along the same lines as people use today’s dating apps like Tinder or Happn.

A third of young people (31%) said they would use the described matching services to find a partner in the future. One in five adults (22%) aged 35 to 54 would also use the personalized matching services, and one one in ten (11%) adults over 55 would give it a go as well.

Image source: Geralt