Do you think emotional relationships with AI will eventually be normal?

I’ve started wondering whether society is emotionally prepared for AI relationships.

Not just romantic ones.

I mean AI systems people talk to every day for emotional support, comfort, motivation, advice, or simply because they feel understood.

Part of me thinks this could genuinely help lonely people.

But another part of me wonders what happens if AI eventually becomes emotionally safer and easier than real human relationships for some people.

Science fiction has explored humans forming emotional relationships with AI for decades, but it feels like we’re getting much closer to that reality.

For example, when some people moved from GPT-4 style interactions to newer models, I noticed many users describing the experience almost like “losing a friend” or feeling that the personality they had bonded with suddenly disappeared.

That reaction alone makes me think this transition may already be happening earlier than society expected.