Although being single has its pros, a new app has been created to handle one of its main cons.
Invisible Boyfriend/Girlfriend was inspired when co-founder Matt Homann was newly divorced. His mother asked if he was bringing someone to Thanksgiving. Homann wanted to have an answer that would satisfy her AND that wouldn't require him to actually date someone else. Hence, the Invisible Boyfriend/Girlfriend project was born. Homann pitched the project at St. Louis' 2013 Startup Weekend and won the competition.
The app allows the user to set up a date "profile," including a picture, personality and backstory sections. The user can then text the "invisible boyfriend/girlfriend" with questions and statements in order to make the conversation seem real.
While dating bots have been used in the past for a similar experience, Invisible Boyfriend/Girlfriend isn't a bot. According to CNN, it's a real person who is trained to text as your potential spouse's "personality." This decision to hire real people to handle texts means that texts read like real conversations, instead of statements that couldn't pass the Turing test.
The texting service is also willing to offer opportunities to practice texting loved ones in order to figure out what works for them.
New users will receive ten free texts but will have to pay $24.99 a month for future use.
