When someone starts to see someone they're close to, someone whose support, someone who is always there to help as nothing more than a tool.

As a means to an end.

Someone it should be easy to see as a person.

How long until they stop seeing everything as a person?

I think whatever happened started with the AI's, then moved onto the people. And in the end, what was a force of good was burned into the ground and made nothing.

If your Awakeners can't see you as a person....how do they see anyone else as a person?

What kind of world does that leave, when those in charge forget what people are?