He said: “The boundary between virtual and real, what is between simulation and what is simulated is blurred.
“In this way, relationships in virtual realities are often seen as equally real and more satisfying than traditional relationships.
“On the other hand, relations with robots that do not have feelings or awareness, but reliably simulate them, are seen as not significantly different from relationships with people.”
However, not all experts agree machines will ever exhibit emotions genuine enough to express true love.
The Future of Life Institute said: “Most researchers agree that a superintelligent AI is unlikely to exhibit human emotions like love or hate and that there is no reason to expect AI to become intentionally benevolent or malevolent.”