[Recorded February 4, 2026]
Online dating is a fast growing $9+ billion industry, and that’s just humans seeking humans! Dating AIs are already generating billions and growing at 25% a year. Join us for a conversation that will investigate how computers have changed how we live and love today and what changes might be coming tomorrow.
Here’s what you’ll experience:
-Explore the evolution of digitally assisted romance from early computer dating to modern AI-driven platforms.
-Examine how technology has changed the meaning of love, sex, romance, family, and human connection.
-Learn about business models for digital connection across different eras.
SPEAKER
Jeffrey Tarr, Co-Founder, Operation Match
Jeff Tarr cofounded Operation Match, widely regarded as the first computer-based dating service, in 1965, when he was an undergraduate at Harvard University. He began his professional career at McKinsey & Company, went on to work at leading Wall Street firms, and in 1981 founded Risk Arbitrage Partners. Since 1995, he has worked as an independent consultant.
SPEAKER
Gary Kremen, Entrepreneur and Founder of Match.com
Gary Kremen is the founder of Match.com, the first internet dating platform, and his work sits at the intersection of algorithms, identity, trust, and social behavior. He later became widely known for his landmark legal battle establishing property rights in domain names, including Sex.com. Kremen also invented dynamic web pages, selling the patent for millions. Today, he remains active in civic technology, data ethics, and digital governance, reflecting on how early design choices in computer dating shaped platforms and culture.
SPEAKER
Steve Dean, Online Dating Consultant, Dateworking
Steve Dean is a dating consultant, advisor, and event designer. Since 2010, he has analyzed over 300 dating apps across 100+ cities and towns. He has consulted and recruited for dating apps like OkCupid, Hinge, Coffee Meets Bagel, and FarmersOnly and has appeared in documentaries and publications about the dating industry, including The New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, CBSN, and Glamour.
MODERATOR
Hanna Kozlowska, Reporter and Author
Hanna Kozlowska is a freelance writer, reporter, and editor. Formerly at Quartz, The New York Times, and Foreign Policy magazine, her work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The New Republic, The Guardian, Vox, NBC News, Elle, Politico Europe, Outside, and others. She focuses on tech and gender issues, and is currently working on a book, U Up? A Social History of Online Dating, which will be published with One Signal/Simon & Schuster in the US and Icon Books in the UK in 2027.
Catalog Number: 300000257
Acquisition Number: 2026.0025
About The Author
