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- Sexual wellness investments, dating apps take on AI, and a stack of new jobs.
Sexual wellness investments, dating apps take on AI, and a stack of new jobs.
Bryony Cole
April 11, 2024
👋 HEY ALL!
Another epic week with AI and censorship dominating the inbox. There's a ton of jobs at the moment and a lot of events kicking back up now that we are in the second quarter.
I've been listening to Kath Albury's recent interview on Joy FM talking about The Digital Sexual Health Project project interviewing sextech users in Australia and Sweden to understand how LGBTQ+ people think and advance the industry. Looking forward to more of this research coming out.
🎧 Listen here 🎧
Read on for:
🔥 this week in sextech
💼 job openings
📑 research opportunities
🏫 learning opportunities
🎪 community events
💸 investments
— Bryony
🔥 THIS WEEK IN SEXTECH
🌟 Frida Launches Unfiltered Women's Health Platform
💘 AI Reshaping Dating Globally
🤖 Social Robots Mimic Human Touch Benefits: Study
🌟 Frida Launches Unfiltered Women's Health Platform
This week Frida launched a FridaUncensored new platform for women's health education, offering unfiltered sexual health education and how-to instructional videos for women - a response to the banning and flagging of women's health content in social and traditional media.
Read on for how it unfolded with a video from Founder Chelsea M.R. Hirschhorn on Frida's LinkedIn yesterday 👇
💘 AI Reshaping Dating Globally
Most dating apps are now using AI on some level, as are its users - such as the man who programmed OpenAI's GPT large language models to talk to well over 5,000 women on his behalf, and ultimately proposed to one of his matches.
In Japan, 31 of Japan’s 47 prefectures offer AI matchmaking services.
Tokyo is set to join shortly, encouraged by Tokyo government officials.
It's currently a bit of a mess as companies will need to take responsibility and guardrail against the growing amount of fake profiles, safety concerns and be clear around whether the company are also themselves producing AI avatars to date in the pool - a move that takes AI features beyond just conversation suggestions and matches.
In Australia, dating platforms will soon be taking steps to self-regulate with a voluntary code to support safety:
They will deliver their voluntary code aimed at an improved, streamlined domestic approach to crucial safety aspects such as user support, contact with law enforcement and platform responsibility to detect and deter poor behaviour.
Most days I hear someone complain about the "swipe fatigue" of using dating apps in their current format. The question remains: Is AI ultimately making things worse?
It seems inevitable that use of AI will fundamentally change the way we date. The question is, will it cause you to delete apps and opt for something totally different? A companion robot or run club?
Speaking of robots, a new study emerged which indicates touch from a social robot may have the same impact as touch from a human
The analysis revealed humans gained similar benefits in terms of their physical health when touched by other humans as by objects – such as social robots or weighted blankets.
💼 HOT JOBS
🇬🇧 Sexual Health Programmes Manager, Naz Project London [Apply]
🇬🇧 Online Content Editor, Lovehoney Group [Apply]
🇬🇧 Senior CRM Executive, Lovehoney Group [Apply]
🇬🇧 General Counsel, Bumble Inc. [Apply]
🏫 LEARNING
✍🏻 The Mother of Femtech, Ida Tin has launched three courses to help you accelerate a career in the Femtech Industry [Learn more]
📑 RESEARCH
📝 PhD Scholarship Opportunities in Sexual Health Epidemiology at Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen [Learn more]
🎪 EVENTS
🇺🇸 April 10, Boston, An Evening Esther Perel: The Future of Relationships, Love & Desire [RSVP here]
🇺🇸 April 11, New York, Never Sleep Alone with Dr. Alex Schiller [RSVP here]
🇺🇸 April 12-14, Arizona, Southwest Love Fest [RSVP here]
🇺🇸 April 12-14, Illinois, Exxxotica [RSVP here]
🇺🇸 April 13-14, New Jersey, Desire Summit East: Sensuality, Romance, Intimacy & Connection [RSVP here]
💻 April 18, Online, Sex Writing Workshop with Tash Doherty [RSVP here]
🇨🇦 April 25, Toronto, Sex Ed Salon [RSVP here]
🇩🇰 April 30, Copenhagen, Navigating Digital Censorship in Sextech and Femtech, SexTech Nordics [ RSVP here]
💻 April 29-May 1 online, S.L.A.M. [RSVP here]
🇺🇸 May 9-15, Atlanta, Frolicon [RSVP here]
🇨🇦 May 22, Toronto, SexTechTO Mixer [RSVP here] Alexandra Friedman
💻 May 27, Online, The Future of Community - Sex Tech Business & Well-being Index Report 2024 hosted by Ola Miedzynska, SxTech eu [RSVP here]
💻 May 23 online, Something Positive for Positive People (SPFPP) [RSVP here]
🇺🇸 May 29-31, Arlington, SYNC Conference [RSVP here]
💸 INVESTMENTS
💰 The Flex Co. Secures Multimillion-Dollar Investment
Professional baseball player Justin Verlander and his wife model Kate Upton have made a multimillion-dollar investment in sustainable period care brand The Flex Co. Previously they raised $20M from investors including Halogen Ventures and Quest Venture Partners [Read]
💸 Woo More Play targets $1 million crowdfunding
Woo More Play launches a crowdfudning campaign on StartEngine. Previously they raised $2M million from VC including Dream Ventures production company Dear Media and Shakti WPL Ventures [Read]
That's a wrap for this week.
We're doing our best to get insights and opportunities out in the world despite heavy censorship.
If you enjoy this newsletter, I'd love you to forward it on to someone you think would like it to increase visibility. 👍
See you next week.
— Bryony
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