In the next several years, artificial intelligence will transform how humans interact with businesses. This technical transition is one of the most powerful shifts in computing that the world has ever seen--and it has the potential to be a force of good. According to research from the McKinsey Global Institute, AI could add $13 trillion to global output by 2030 and raise GDP by 1.2% annually. For this reason, companies will benefit from a long-horizon view of their investments in AI technology. The allure of heightened automation is strong from both cost-cutting and revenue-generating perspectives.

What perhaps sets these new brands apart from their predecessors, then, is their push to expand the visibility of the queer community. For instance, one user might not know much about another offline, but he might know little things about him from having scrolled through his geotagged social media page. He might even recognize him from his profile photos walking down the street, or in the audience of, say, a recent panel about digital content by and for the queer community. Far from keeping queer men on the fringes, these apps are fueling a novel knowingness among users--on the app, yes, but also offline, when users go out to create and engage with open communities. These apps are playing host to conversations--silent and verbal, private and public--about what, exactly, the queer experience can entail.