I think that's the point of the article: using "smart replies" makes it seem like you're so disinterested in your conversation partner that you consider coming up with your own responses a waste of time.
It is, and honestly - I find expecting from the other side to be always fully committed to you in a conversation to be a sign of disrespect. I guess some people want to feel more important to others that they really are.
It also depends on the discussion. Whenever someone talks to me about something requiring my personal attention, I pay that attention. But most conversations with people are trivial, and expecting someone to drop everything they were concentrating on and pay full attention to your trivial question is, again, a sign of disrespect.
Do people on chat with their nearest and dearest? Or do they chat with a mix of people who they may like or even dislike.