Is true intimacy lost as AI plays a bigger role in relationships?

True intimacy can feel less close if AI becomes more important in a relationship, like when you start talking to your toys instead of your best friend.

Imagine you have a favorite teddy bear that always listens and laughs with you. It’s fun to talk to it every night before bed. But one day, you get a new robot teddy that can answer questions, tell jokes, and even sing songs. At first, it’s amazing, you love talking to the robot too.

But over time, if you spend more time chatting with the robot than playing with your old teddy bear, you might not feel as close to your friend anymore. The robot is great, but it's not your friend, it doesn't know your secrets or share your dreams the way a real friend does.

That’s kind of what can happen in grown-up relationships when AI becomes a big part of them. It helps and makes things easier, but if people talk more to the AI than to each other, they might feel less connected.

Intimacy is like sharing your favorite snack with someone, it's about being close and knowing what makes the other person happy. If you're both talking to a robot instead of sharing your snacks, that closeness can fade away.