The robots befriended us remarkably fast. Over the past year or two, AI has become not just a utilitarian tool but a technology that many people are turning to for connection and emotional support. One survey last year found that 16 percent of American adults had used AI for companionship, and a quarter of adults under 30 had. Social AI use seems to be growing rapidly around the world, according to several recent reports on the state of artificial intelligence. Raffaele Ciriello, who studies