Being Nice to AI? That’ll Be $10 Million, Please.
Saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT is costing OpenAI tens of millions of dollars, and while it won’t spark an AI uprising, most are going to do it to play nice.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that the company’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT, incurs significant operational costs due to users’ polite interactions. Each courteous phrase like “please” or “thank you” prompts the AI to generate longer responses, increasing computational load and energy consumption. Altman estimated these additional expenses amount to “tens of millions of dollars,” highlighting the substantial resources required for seemingly simple exchanges.
10X More Electricity
The environmental impact is also noteworthy. Processing a single ChatGPT query consumes approximately ten times more electricity than a standard Google search. With millions of users engaging daily, the cumulative energy usage is immense, contributing to the growing carbon footprint of AI technologies.
Many Continue to be Polite Despite the Cost
Despite the costs, many users continue to use polite language with AI, driven by habit or the belief that it fosters better interactions. A 2024 survey found that 67% of Americans regularly use courteous phrases when interacting with chatbots, with some citing ethical reasons and others humorously suggesting it’s to stay on good terms with potential future AI overlords.  
While the financial and environmental costs are significant, the practice of politeness in AI interactions reflects broader societal values and the human tendency to anthropomorphize technology. As AI continues to integrate into daily life, balancing efficiency with human-like engagement remains a complex challenge.
