It would seem like swiping left and right is part of the fun of Tinder, but if you want to optimize your time on the dating app, use a bot that automates the process. Vancouver-based developer Justin Long has created perhaps the most impressive Tinder Bot yet, using facial recognition algorithm Eigenfaces to search through your previous “likes” and “dislikes” find matches you will like. It can even send messages to them. The bot just needs 60 swipes to learn your preferences.
According to Long, it is “amazingly effective.” He writes:
What are the results so far? The bot is amazingly effective. I would estimate an accuracy of up to 70% in its selections – though there may be a hindsight bias. Using a brand new account, I did a quick test to see how quickly the bot could get results. In 48 hours, the bot registered 21 matches (starting all of those conversations), made 4 extended conversations, and the bot itself made over 300 moves. A “move” is any step the bot makes in either sending a message or making a swipe. And in that time I barely needed to touch the app. I also created a dashboard to give me an overview of my metrics (see screenshot below).
But the bot is far from perfect. Long told TechCrunch that things break down somewhere after those 300 searches: “The ‘yes’ model and the ‘no’ model seem to converge,” he says, adding, “It would indicate that there are limits to the algorithm, and a different strategy is needed for the long-term.”
And Instgram filters interfere with facial recognition:
“The bot produced a full spectrum of looks, and the reason for this is because the Eigenfaces algorithm mostly focuses on facial features rather than skin color or body type. That’s not to say I didn’t look into adding those features into the algorithm. The problem was mostly due to how so many photos used many filters, probably from Instagram, and it was difficult to normalize them. If I had more time and had to do it all over again, I’d probably be a little more comprehensive,” he adds.
Nonetheless, the technology is interesting. Yet, it may make dating so efficient that it turns on you. Long isn’t using the bot anymore, saying, “I’ve actually turned it off for now. Admittedly, it worked too well and started to conflict with work.”
(Photo: Chris Messina)
