[mjr00]

> What happens between getting up one day and installing an AI friend?

* You get up one day

* You enter a world where fewer and fewer people are trying to form in-person, human connections because they see pseudonymous social media and parasocial relationships as valid substitute

* You try these relationships too and find they are low-effort ways to keep yourself entertained with surface-level human connections

* Forming actual human connections in-person is too high effort (requires leaving the house; has a risk of rejection) so you don't do it

* An AI friend is low-effort and sort of a human connection so you do that

Ultimately I don't see "having an AI friend" as much worse than "'donating' $500 to Asmongold because he's my friend" (note: Asmongold has no idea who you are).