Reddit user Julian Alexander has made a matchmaking app that’s similar to the “Hang the DJ” episode in season 4 of Black Mirror.
The episode features people who are matched together in relationships, however, each relationship has an expiration date. The couples can choose to look at a clock with their expiration date or wait it out, although it’s possible the clock can never expire and you find ‘the one.’
Julian, who is a 24-year-old programmer, posted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit about his Black Mirror-like app. The app is called Juliet and matches users with only one person at a time, with the artificial intelligence determining the expiry of the match. After the match, the app will learn from it and find someone that the user is even more compatible with.
Alexander told Forbes that he believes the time element will cause urgency and make matches more exciting. In addition, this will help users focus even more on trying to make a connection with their matches.
“Like when you see someone you’re interested in, you have to make a move or you’ll lose your chance,” Alexander said to Forbes. “Other apps on the market focus on a quantity approach, by matching the user with as many people possible with little to no compatibility. I wanted to focus on a quality approach, by matching users with one person at a time. With this method, people really get a chance to make a real connection.”
Juliet seems like a great idea, however, according to someone who posted a comment on the app’s iTunes page, it appears that there’s no way to unmatch someone, without the expiry date. That means, similar to the Black Mirror episode, you’ll end up stuck with them.
To download Juliet, click here.
