THE TELEGRAPH – Sep 7 – Dating apps can be harmful for mental health because they contribute to "smartphone addiction," according to Whitney Wolfe, the founder of Bumble. Ms Wolfe said Bumble will now add a new "Snooze" function, which freezes the app for a certain time.
Category: Reporters – Margi Murphy
Why Dating Giants Are Betting On AI
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK – "I don't think dating services should be able to tell you that you have a 95% chance of falling in love with someone," says Xavier de Baillenx, tech chief at Match. "The human brain is very complex. We are just helping users find their 'plus-one' in a less painful way." Dating expert Kate Taylor is similarly apprehensive. "I think the most important thing that technology can do is get you on a real-life date in front of a person," she says. Yet Match is investing heavily in the technology to stand out from the crowd. Match.com has created a virtual assistant that converses with users through a smart speaker. "Lara" can offer dating tips and locations to meet dates. She can even suggest when it is appropriate to have sex. Last week, Happn introduced a new feature: an AI-fuelled interactive map that shows people that visited the same venue in the past seven days. It has big plans to use the increasing amount of data people generate. Facebook can also offer what each dating app on the market can combined. It has one of the most advanced facial recognition tools, not to mention a huge pool of behavioural data.
by Margi Murphy
See full article at Telegraph.co.uk
Ashley Madison Chief: No Publicity Is Bad Publicity
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK – Apr 30 – "After the events of 2015, we had to rethink who we were", says Ashley Madison chief Ruben Buell. "It included a realisation that "most of our clients are attached and want discretionary tools to date on the side, so that's what we've focused on". The breach barely made a dent. "We are now signing up 20K Britons a day and revenue growth in the US this year went up 17% and Canada 18%", Buell adds. The Canadian, who wears a ring on his finger, took up the role as president of Ruby Life in 2017 after serving as CTO, and now runs its three dating sites: Ashley Madison, Cougar Life and Established Men.
by Margi Murphy
See full article at Telegraph.co.uk
Once App Asks Women To Rate Men On Whether They Appear ‘Worse’ In Real Life
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK – Feb 2 – Once dating app is asking women to write Tripadvisor-style dating reviews, including a five-star rating, that will be published for prospective matches to view. Once, which launched in 2016, has launched a promotional campaign to advertise the new feature, which also allows women to rate how a conversation is going with a thumbs up or down symbol.
