Oh, he nailed it. Surrogate connection, that's what we're getting. And since it's clearly distinct from the real thing in several ways, it's only logical that it would be a poor substitute for irl connections. Where you can actually hug someone.

I know this isn't a novel idea, but the wire-mother analogy is a particularly effective way to communicate it, and this is the first I'm seeing it.

edit: To further add, we should probably remember that not everyone gets the same opportunities for healthy, irl connections, due to circumstances outside their control. Particularly when you're still a minor.

In these cases where the choice is between surrogate connections (say, an AI companion) and none at all (near-total social ostracisation) then the less-than-ideal becomes a little preferable to the shittiest of possibilities.