Sentient or not, if the thing on the screen or the voice on our device seems human, isn't that enough to open up profound new human connections and experiences

Sentient or not, if the thing on the screen or the voice on our device seems human, isn't that enough to open up profound new human connections and experiences for us? If you've ever interacted with people with severe brain damage or later-stage dementia, they can at times seem very normal during certain small talk. But if you ask the right questions, things break down quickly and you realize their experience of reality is far removed from yours. And they may just be responding through social scripts (programming) they learned prior. I for one am saving myself for an AI version of Skyrim's Lydia. I've long had a crush on her, but her scripting limits how deep our relationship can go. Hold on, my dear Lydia, soon the mages will set you free and we can gallop away and build a life together.