FORTUNE - Eugenia Kuyda, CEO of Replika, a company that creates empathetic chatbots, predicts that the stigma around having romantic relationships with chatbots will fade. Replika recently launched a spinoff brand called Blush, specifically catering to users seeking romantic or sexual relationships with chatbots. Kuyda compares the current stigma to the early days of online dating and believes that romantic relationships with AI can serve as a stepping stone to human relationships. She sees people naturally forming romantic connections with companion chatbots.