OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that simple acts of politeness—like saying “please” and “thank you” when using AI—are costing the company tens of millions of dollars.
In a recent post on social media platform X, Altman responded to a user who jokingly asked how much energy and money is wasted on people being polite to chatbots. His answer? “Tens of millions of dollars well spent,” adding, “You never know.”
While polite phrasing may seem harmless, it adds to the processing load and ultimately increases energy usage—raising costs for companies operating large language models like ChatGPT.
Politeness Comes at a Price
AI models like ChatGPT consume a significant amount of electricity each time they process a prompt. Even small inputs require large-scale computations across data centers.
A report by The Washington Post found that generating a 100-word email weekly for a year using AI uses about 7.5 kWh of electricity—the same amount used by nine homes in Washington, D.C., in an hour.
And this adds up fast. AI systems are estimated to account for around 2% of global energy consumption, a number expected to rise as usage grows.
Why People Say “Please” to AI
A recent TechRadar survey found that two-thirds of U.S. users say they are polite to AI. Of those, 55% said it’s simply “the right thing to do,” while 12% admitted they fear a future where robots take over.
Some experts support using respectful language with AI. Microsoft’s design manager Kurtis Beavers said that politeness “helps generate respectful, collaborative outputs.” A Microsoft WorkLab memo also suggested that AI tends to mirror the tone set by the user.
A Growing Dependence on AI
As more people use AI to write emails, generate code, or assist with daily tasks, concerns about its energy use—and the social behavior surrounding it—are becoming more pressing.
Some AI researchers argue that current large language models are far from human-level intelligence. Still, the way we interact with them may have wider implications—both environmentally and socially.
For now, Altman doesn’t seem to mind the price tag of politeness. His view: the extra cost is worth it.
