‘Polite’ prompt shock: saying please to ChatGPT is costing millions.
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Being polite to your AI might make you feel warm and fuzzy, but it’s also burning through millions in electricity – literally.
OpenAI boss Sam Altman has admitted that saying “please” and “thank you” to chatbots like ChatGPT is stacking up tens of millions of dollars in computing costs. Responding to a cheeky post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman quipped it was “tens of millions of dollars well spent.” And why? “You never know,” he added – a remark equal parts cryptic and comedic.
But what sounds like a digital-era punchline has a very real environmental punch. A Washington Post investigation found that writing a single 100-word AI-generated email uses about 0.14 kilowatt-hours of electricity – about 37% of the electricity that an average Spanish home uses in one hour, according to Repsol.
Microsoft’s design manager Kurtis Beavers, however, argues that courtesy isn’t wasted – it’s programming with purpose. “Using polite language sets a tone for the response,” he explains. Microsoft’s own internal memos suggest generative AI mirrors the professionalism and clarity of the input it receives – like an extremely clever parrot with manners.
Still, there’s a bigger issue brewing. Data centres that power these AI tools are already hoovering up around 2% of global electricity – and that figure is rising.
A 2024 survey revealed 67% of Americans are sweet-talking their AI. Over half said it was “just the right thing to do,” while 12% hoped it might spare them in an AI uprising.
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