Human-AI attachment: how humans develop intimate relationships with AI

With the widespread application of artificial intelligence in social and emotional companionship, understanding the intimate relationship between humans and AI has become a critical issue. Human-AI Attachment (HAIA) refers to a one-way, non-reciprocal emotional bond formed by individuals towards AI through direct interaction. This paper first sorts out the concept and characteristics of HAIA and proposes a three-stage developmental model, including functional expectation, emotional evaluation, and establishing representations. Human-AI attachment provides a framework for designing emotionally and socially capable AI, while also highlighting the risks of excessive reliance in socio-emotional contexts. Future research should further explore the conceptual structure, develop measurement tools, and examine the generational differences and evolutionary trends of HAIA.