Words Can Deceive: Emotional Bonds with Machines

The emotional attachment users can form with rudimentary systems like Eliza highlights the human tendency to project understanding onto communicative machines. Despite being incapable of true comprehension, even simple pattern recognition can evoke genuine feelings. As AI has advanced significantly, with modern models processing vast amounts of information without real understanding, this phenomenon has only intensified. Users often misattribute a sense of presence and intentionality to AI responses, despite the lack of actual mental engagement, underscoring the distinction between apparent understanding and the mere availability of data.