Cathy Hackl and the Future of Tech Intimacy: A Billion-Dollar Opportunity to Rewire Connection

In the early 21st century, the digital landscape was dominated by the attention economy. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok vied for our focus, monetizing every click, scroll, and linger. However, as we advance into 2025, a paradigm shift is underway. The emerging “intimacy economy” is redefining our interactions with technology, emphasizing emotional connection over mere engagement.

Recent studies show that nearly 60% of adults in the U.S. report feeling lonely on a regular basis, with similar patterns appearing globally. This epidemic of disconnection has birthed an urgent need for human-centered innovation in digital platforms, a space futurist Cathy Hackl believes is both a moral and financial imperative. Through her groundbreaking "Tech Intimacy Scale," Hackl is not only reshaping how we think about emotional connection in the digital age but also laying the foundation for what could be a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity.

Hackl introduces the Tech Intimacy Scale as a pioneering framework that evaluates how different technologies impact our ability to form and nurture emotional bonds. From low-intimacy interactions like swiping on dating apps to high-intimacy tools such as shared immersive storytelling and AI-driven empathy engines, this scale provides both a diagnostic tool and an aspirational guide for tech developers and consumers. Rather than rejecting technology's role in our lives, Hackl seeks to elevate its potential to foster authenticity, vulnerability, and trust—the cornerstones of human intimacy.

This approach is especially relevant to the dating industry, which is valued at more than $10 billion globally. Yet many users report frustration with the superficial nature of swipe-based platforms, with 80% of Gen Z users in a recent Pew survey stating that dating apps leave them feeling more anxious than fulfilled. In a recent Forbes article, Hackl argues for a strategic pivot away from these models and toward immersive and gamified experiences that prioritize co-play, emotional storytelling, and psychological safety. By blending her expertise in spatial computing, AI, and user behavior, she sees an untapped opportunity to create platforms that do more than facilitate matches—they deepen connection.

This isn’t just theoretical. The convergence of VR, AR, AI, and gaming presents a new category of relationship tech that Hackl believes could form a $30 billion market over the next decade. This projection includes immersive dating environments, emotionally intelligent AI matchmakers, and virtual memory spaces that allow couples to relive meaningful shared experiences. Already, early movers in this space are attracting significant VC interest, and Hackl’s thought leadership is helping shape how these startups consider emotional depth and user well-being from the outset.

Hackl’s work is part of a growing chorus of voices exploring the impact of digital life on human connection. Writers like Brené Brown have redefined emotional literacy, while public intellectuals such as Scott Galloway and Derek Thompson have drawn attention to declining intimacy and rising loneliness. Brown emphasized vulnerability as a pathway to trust—Hackl applies that principle to tech. Galloway and Thompson warn of the relational collapse in the digital age—Hackl offers blueprints for rebuilding. Public figures like Esther Perel and Johann Hari have also spoken powerfully about the cost of disconnection and the need to rethink modern relationships and attention. Hackl’s contribution isn’t just additive; it’s transformational in applying these emotional insights to the architecture of our digital futures.

Hackl's broader thesis is that tech intimacy isn’t a niche or fringe concept—it’s the foundation for the next wave of profitable, human-first digital products. Consider the macroeconomic opportunity: if even 10% of the $100+ billion social media, dating, and virtual engagement markets were redirected toward high-intimacy platforms, the value creation could be extraordinary. Platforms that master emotional resonance will not only retain users longer but generate more trust, loyalty, and monetization potential.

This is particularly vital in the creator economy and financial services, where emotional connection directly drives trust and retention. Hackl’s insights could influence how fintech platforms build relationships with younger users, how banks foster loyalty in digital channels, and how brands create meaningful communities rather than transactional followings. In the corporate world, intimacy isn’t just for dating apps—it’s a strategic advantage across sectors.

Ultimately, Cathy Hackl is offering a critical reframing of how we design and use technology in an age of loneliness. The intimacy we crave isn’t out of reach—it’s just being misrouted. By reshaping how we approach our digital lives, Hackl believes we can reignite our ability to form real, meaningful, and lasting bonds. Her work merges psychological insight with technological foresight to deliver something new: a visionary blueprint for emotional capitalism.

The market Cathy Hackl is defining—where emotional intelligence and immersive tech intersect—could easily grow to $30-50 billion by 2035, as consumers demand more soulful, intentional, and human-centered technology. For the global banking and finance audience, that represents more than a shift in consumer preference—it’s an investment thesis. Tech intimacy is no longer a luxury or curiosity. It is the frontier of digital innovation, and Hackl is leading the charge.

Cathy Hackl