does the application of artificial intelligence and algorithms have to reduce serendipity?
Can the mysterious and playful world of canine social interactions drive the matchmaking process?
“Puppy Love” was a speculative project carried out at the graduate school at Keio Media Design in Tokyo. The proposal was to introduce serendipity and magic back into the world of tech-driven mobile dating apps. In a world where so many things are determined through complicated algorithms, it feels like the mysticism of life events are now a result of cold calculation. The project sought to re-frame the role of algorithms in the software that augments our lives by using the mysterious world of canine social rituals to drive the initial introduction process of dating. The behavior of two dogs is analyzed by sensors on their collars to determine if there is a match between them. As the personality of the dogs are a reflection of their owners, a match between the dogs may imply a similar connection between their owners. Artificial intelligence becomes the mediator of magic instead of the creator, and serendipity and technology can co-exist.