Companionship in code: AI’s role in the future of human connection
Marta Andersson
Abstract
Before November 2022, when OpenAI’s ChatGPT captured global attention as a breakthrough in chatbot technology, Alicia Framis’s marriage to the hologram AILex might have been seen as an avant-garde artistic statement—a symbolic reflection of our evolving relationship with technology. At the time of writing, however, this thought-provoking act may signal a broader shift in how we define bonds, fulfil emotional needs, and assign roles to technology in this process. This article builds on research into user experience and perceptions of AI companionship, informed by the author’s everyday interactions with ChatGPT-4o, to explore the societal and philosophical implications of AI as a relational presence in the lived realities of its users.