Still looking for the ‘one’? Technology now offers you an AI dating coach or even DNA matchmaking

Like many beautiful, single girls her age, 24-year-old Sunny Xu has received lots of advice from friends and family about dating.

A native of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, she has met a few boys online. Although their profiles appeared impressive – good-looking, similar age and stable salary – they did not quite measure up in the flesh.

“Some of them don’t know how to find a proper topic to start the conversation,” said Xu. “One time, someone asked why my online replies were slow – which was rude and irritating.”

Finding a good match in life is an age-old problem and online dating is merely the latest innovation to try and ease the process. Today, there are websites for every age group and sexual orientation. It is now easy to cross an ocean for love but finding a true match, a genuine soul mate remains as hard as ever. That is why many now think artificial intelligence (AI) can lend a helping hand – by connecting people more accurately based on their personality, preferences and outlook on life.

When Kevin Teman was in his late 20s, he had a lot of trouble of dating. Teman, who grew up in Orange County, California, gave up on meeting people via chance encounters and eventually turned to human matchmaking services. Based on his experience of their detailed profiling techniques aimed at matching people with genuine interests in common, he is now applying that to his start-up – which provides young people with an AI dating coach.

“Using matchmaking services is the closest I’ve ever been to finding my true someone,” said Teman. “So I’ve taken similar techniques but applied them in a more modern setting and with new technology.”