Using artificial intelligence to find out who fancies me

"I've been meaning to message you," opens a break-up text from an ex. "Sorry for my ridiculously slow reply," reads another. And my favourite, begins: "Yo sorry my bad, been a bit of a wasteman. He was, definitely, parring me off. These exchanges are searingly familiar to most people who find themselves on dating apps in the current hellscape – the headscratching, soul-searching, and analysing of old messages to find out where it all went wrong. Now it turns out these stunted back-and-forths – spread across a three year period – could have all been avoided had I utilised artificial intelligence. Messaging app Mei, which debuted on iOS earlier this month, uses AI to scan your WhatsApp messages and tell you how likely it is that someone has a crush on you. Originally launched on Android, the full app – which isn't available on iPhone because of Apple's privacy settings – also enables users to analyse conversations in real-time, offering live advice on how best to communicate with someone. "There's so much potential for miscommunication over text," the app's creator Es Lee tells Dazed, "meaning you often end up ruining a relationship, or not giving it a full chance.