I think that's the point of the article: using "smart replies" makes it seem like you're so disinterested in your conversation partner that you consider coming up with your own responses a waste of time.
Do people on chat with their nearest and dearest? Or do they chat with a mix of people who they may like or even dislike.
It also depends on the discussion. Whenever someone talks to me about something requiring my personal attention, I pay that attention. But most conversations with people are trivial, and expecting someone to drop everything they were concentrating on and pay full attention to your trivial question is, again, a sign of disrespect.