People are marrying holograms and making friends with chatbots. But can AI bring true happiness? The rise of chatbots disrupts traditional ideas of community. Ying-Chieh Lee/Kingston School of Art/betterimagesofai.org , CC BY Anné H. Verhoef , North-West University and Edmund Terem Ugar , North-West University Can technology really replace human relationships? As philosophy scholars who focus on human happiness and on artificial intelligence (AI), we tackle this question in a recent paper . In our study , we address the rise of AI companions, chatbots, and social robots for friendship, advice, emotional support, and even romance. We argue that AI can reduce loneliness and provide assistance, but it lacks the genuine understanding, emotions, and moral responsibility needed for human flourishing. Genuine happiness relies on authentic interpersonal connections, but AI is disrupting traditional ideas of friendship an...