"How was your date? Tell us what you think about this person. Do they look like their photos? Are they a good listener?" the Algo Date app wants to know the next morning. "The more details you give, the better we can match you up next time," the system continues relentlessly.
In 2030, "live" dating is an anachronism. Chatting to an attractive stranger in the street? How vulgar! I don't even know anything about their compatibility, interests or habits, so why waste time?
What if they're a bad egg? In dating apps, all decent people have long since had a blue badge verifying their account. It guarantees that all data has been checked by the verification center, and there's even an insurance payout if something goes wrong.
Office flings are also a no-no, because you might run foul of your employer's workplace policy. Or a lawsuit from a scheming colleague. No, app-less dating is so last century, no one does it anymore.
The continuation of the human race is now in the hands of smart algorithms. Having talked to a recommended partner, users award stars in 15 basic categories.
The system takes into account the scores not only in the other person's profile, but more importantly in your own. And then uses them to make recommendations based on the refined data. Thanks to Google, Netflix, Spotify, Vivino and a host of other smart services, the machine-learning mechanisms have long been perfected in other areas.
There are, however, groups of luddites who still do not get the concept of smart dating. These savages still date the old-fashioned way, and claim it's "so much more interesting." But they belong to a dying breed. Like those strange types who still go to the theater.
Read more: How dating apps have changed the way we meet new people in 2021.
