New communication channel

The article “Text-based communication influences self-esteem more than face-to-face or cellphone communication” made me think how communication channels are continuously changing and how we use less and less face-to face communication. Moreover, in some instances we are substituting online human interaction with non-human one. One of the examples that came to my mind is when a university professor utilized AI based chatbot to answer questions in the forum of his online class. Since there were a lot of questions that were very repetitive in nature the chatbot facilitated communication between the professor and his students. But this is not a rare example these days - AI based chatbots gain popularity in many areas. When I open my mobile banking app, a financial digital assistant is there to answer my questions. She substitutes interaction with a bank customer service representative. Other AI based chatbots can enhance your motivation, track your mood or by asking a series of questions find the cause of your problem - that what would happen while talking to your mom, your friend, your therapist etc. I mentioned only a few examples but even they could frighten somebody considering the fact that more and more we feel comfortable engaging in non-human interactions. My prediction is that this emerging type of communication is most probably going to become a new social norm in the near future. I wonder though what impact it is going to have on our social behavior.