[slibhb]

When you read a book, you hypothesize a writer and have some kind of inner relationship with the hypothetical writer. But it's not a real relationship. It's in the words, not outside them.

[beej71]

I think the transmission through the medium makes the relationship with the other side.

One could certainly have a pen pal relationship where the only communication was via text. The relationship begins with the very first message.

Or a relationship with an autobiographer who spills their soul onto the page.

But if I look through the text of an AI spilling its soul, there's nothing on the other side.