Ben Berman thinks there's a problem with the way we date. Not in real life—he's happily engaged, thank you very much—but online. He's watched too many friends joylessly swipe through apps, seeing the ...

These days, much of our lives seem dictated by algorithms. Our streaming services decide which movies and TV shows would be a good fit for us based on our previous viewing history and apparent tastes.

Algorithms control much of what we do online. They tell us what to buy on Amazon, where to apply for jobs on LinkedIn, which friends to add on Facebook, and, increasingly, whom to date. But is an ...