More people aren’t just using ChatGPT to proof emails or plan trips. They’re leaning on it as a confidant, a friend, and even a romantic partner. We’ve seen countless headlines about people falling in love with chatbots and viral forum posts about relationships breaking down because of AI or even chatbots “proposing” to their human partners.

Those worries boiled over recently when OpenAI rolled out GPT-5, an update to ChatGPT, and many users said the bot’s “personality” felt colder. Some described the shift like a breakup. OpenAI acknowledged the backlash and said it was “making GPT-5 warmer and friendlier” following feedback that it felt too formal.

This isn’t just about ChatGPT. Companion platforms, such as Character.ai have normalized AI “friends” with distinct personas and huge audiences, including teens. Dozens of other apps now promise AI friendship, romance, even sex.

The uncomfortable part is that this attachment is often by design. If you treat a chatbot like an occasional brainstorming partner, you’ll dip in and out. If you start to feel like it understands you, remembers you, and knows you, you’ll come back, pay u,p and stay longer. Tech leaders openly imagine a future where “AI friends” are commonplace – Mark Zuckerberg said as much earlier this year.

As you might expect, this is a minefield of ethics, safety, and regulation. But before we argue about policy, we need better language for what’s actually happening. What do we call these one-sided bonds with AI? How do they for,m and when might they harm? Let’s start by defining the relationship.