Love in the Time of Big Data feat. Alfie Bown

Big tech companies tell us they’re our servants, existing to fulfill our desires more cheaply and conveniently than ever. Alfie Bown doesn’t think so. He thinks Deliveroo, Tinder, Pornhub etc. aren’t just giving us what we want, they’re shaping what we want. He reckons our tech overlords are secretly remaking humankind on the level of desire.

We chat about Chinese cars that know what you want to eat and why time travellers don’t get horny.

Bown is the author of a new book called Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships