TL;DR
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Politeness in ChatGPT prompts like “please” and “thank you” costs OpenAI tens of millions annually
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Each extra word increases energy usage, impacting power bills and server load
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CEO Sam Altman says the cost is worth it for a better user experience
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Polite prompts tend to generate more respectful and accurate AI responses
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A majority of users are polite to AI, partly out of habit or futuristic caution
💸 The High Cost of Courtesy
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently spotlighted an unexpected financial twist in how people use ChatGPT: the price of being polite.
When asked how much money is lost due to users adding “please” and “thank you” in their prompts, Altman responded:
“Tens of millions of dollars well spent—you never know.”
These extra words, though seemingly harmless, require more tokens for the AI to process, resulting in higher server loads and increased energy consumption over millions of interactions, which costs add up quickly.
⚡ Energy Costs Behind Every Prompt
Even small additions like “thanks” can have a noticeable energy footprint. Processing these polite tokens eats into electricity, cooling, and computational resources. The bigger the prompt, the more energy it burns.
While a single request might not seem like much, scaling that behavior across ChatGPT’s global user base turns it into a multi-million-dollar power bill.
🤖 More Than Just Words
Despite the costs, Altman views these expenses as worthwhile. Why? Because it helps make AI feel more human.
Kurtis Beavers, a design manager at Microsoft, backs this up:
“Using polite language sets a tone for the response”
“Helps generate respectful, collaborative outputs.”
So, politeness isn’t just fluff—it can shape how the AI responds.
🧠 Why Users Are Polite to AI
A 2024 survey found that 67% of Americans use polite language with AI. Their reasons?
- 55% say it’s just the right thing to do
- 12% admit they’re polite “just in case” AI becomes sentient or rebellious
This behavior suggests people see AI as more than a tool—they treat it like a digital personality deserving of respect.
🎯 Efficiency vs Empathy
So, where do we go from here? On one side, removing polite phrases can cut costs and reduce energy use. On the other hand, it might make AI feel less empathetic and more robotic.
Finding the sweet spot between efficiency and engaging human-like interaction is the next big step for AI platforms like ChatGPT.
In the end, a few kind words might cost millions, but they also make machines feel a little more human.
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