Three Day Rule promises to make matchmaking affordable by integrating AI matchmakers and coaches into a dating app. But what's the point when humans looking for connection are just talking through AI chatbots? AI coaches are trained by real human matchmakers. More in-depth prompts to help find matches based not only on looks. Profile is also shared off-app with white-glove matchmaking service.

If speed dating mixed with blind dating sounds like your idea of hell, look away now. Ten years since dating app Tinder first encouraged users to swipe through potential partners based largely on their looks, some singles are doing away with profile photos altogether. In the absence of Cilla and "our Graham", those looking for love are turning instead to a new cohort of "blind dating apps" in the hope of making more meaningful connections. "I'm already on Tinder, Badoo, Bumble, Hinge – all of them!" says Victoria Brown, a 26-year-old client success manager from Upminster, east London. "A blind dating app seemed like a good idea because usually you think: 'Oh, he's really good-looking' but then, when you start talking, the chat's not that good. Not seeing what someone looks like, at least at first, gives it a bit of a twist – although I was nervous about the reveal."

Bots are showing themselves to be one of the darlings of adtech in 2016. They may potentially disrupt brand-consumer interaction as we know it, creating both opportunity and chaos for marketers. And yet, as with websites and apps, building an effective brand asset doesn't happen overnight -- or come without challenges. And that's certainly true for bots, whose technology is still very imperfect and will require extensive development before all is said and done. Even so, the benefits outweigh the risks, and brands should act now, as first movers will likely see major advantages. Previously, I spoke with more than a dozen executives to learn what bot implementations hold the most promise (See: 10 ways bots can surprise and delight your customers).