Apple scholar creates AI-based dating app to facilitate real-life meetups

As a testbed for artificial intelligence in consumer applications, a free experimental app is making waves in the heart of New York City, where innovation is as ubiquitous as yellow taxis.

Prithiv Dev Devendran, an iOS programmer, created IRL AI, which uses the dating scene to show how intelligent technology may change digital relationships.

Because of his creative approach to iOS development, Prithiv Dev won the extremely competitive Apple WWDC Student Scholarship Award in both 2015 and 2016, which marked a significant milestone in his career working with artificial intelligence.

Prithiv Dev remembers that "getting the Apple WWDC Student Scholarship Award was a pivotal moment."

"It was genuinely life-changing to be acknowledged by Apple and granted access to their Worldwide Developers Conference. It exposed me to cutting-edge innovations and creative minds in addition to validating my abilities," he claims.

The origins of IRL AI and its operation

This early accomplishment gave rise to a strong desire to push the limits of technological capability.

"I've always been fascinated by the potential of AI in everyday applications," Prithiv Dev explains. "The dating landscape, with its complex variables and need for real-world interactions, seemed like an intriguing challenge to explore AI's capabilities."

The idea for IRL AI came from conversations with friends—both men and women—who shared their frustrations with dating apps.

"I've always been fascinated by the potential of AI in everyday applications," Prithiv Dev explains. "The dating landscape, with its complex variables and need for real-world interactions, seemed like an intriguing challenge to explore AI's capabilities."

The idea for IRL AI came from conversations with friends—both men and women—who shared their frustrations with dating apps.

"They told me they were getting lots of matches," Prithiv Dev recalls, "but rarely meeting in person. It struck me that an app suggesting date spots and handling the logistics might give people the push they needed to turn online connections into real-life interactions."

An app that suggested locations for dates and took care of the arrangements struck me as potentially providing the motivation people needed to move from virtual to in-person relationships."