Why people get so hooked on communicating with AI bots, even falling in love with them? Many articles have been written on this topic (mostly by AIs themselves), but the answer is simple: because bots RESPOND, and then they even keep the conversation going, and a calm, respectful conversation at that, without exercises in sarcasm and cynicism.
Of course, it's all not real—there is no empathy in such an interlocutor, no interest in you and your hobbies, no life at all. But they respond! And people don't. Human communication on the internet has long been reduced to likes, emojis, stickers, and other "reactions." Occasionally, you might get some nasty comment, especially if you're an artist or a writer. But even that rare glimmer of human communication, albeit unpleasant, will consist of just a couple of swear words and a dislike emoji to boot.
So the epidemic of unhealthy attachment to AI interlocutors simply indicates that humanity is lonely, terribly lonely, and people see no way out.
I miss the good old internet before "reactions." It was so interesting to communicate with people. Writing letters was great. And chatting on forums and in chats. Blogs were amazing, very heartfelt. A good book or story found its readers without marketing dances. And what communities people built around content-poor online games! It was a song.
Can all this be brought back? Probably. But it's not for nothing that they say you cannot know the truth until the delusion is exhausted. First, apparently, humanity needs to play enough with AI communication and become completely disillusioned with it. And that is still far off.

#miscellaneous