Column: The Cost of Saying “Thank You” to AI: Politeness Is Raising Your Power Bills!

A simple habit—expressing courtesy towards someone. But if you’re saying “thank you” or “please” to ChatGPT, know that this small gesture of politeness actually comes with a big price tag.

Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted that such polite interactions put a significant computing load on their AI model, adding up to tens of millions of dollars in electricity costs every year!

A user on X (formerly Twitter) jokingly asked, “How much does it cost OpenAI in electricity when people say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to ChatGPT?” In response, Altman said, “It costs tens of millions of dollars, but it’s a good cost.”

But the question remains—is being polite truly necessary?

According to Microsoft’s design manager Curtis Biebers, “Politeness encourages AI to give even more helpful and professional responses.” A note from Microsoft’s WorkLab states, “The more polite, clear, and professional you are, the more your AI will respond in kind.”

A survey at the end of 2024 found that 67% of American chatbot users interact politely with their AI. Of them, 55% think it’s the ‘right thing to do’, while 12% do it to prevent a potential future AI revolution—if such a thing ever happens!

Is Courtesy Costing the Environment?

But the problem runs deeper than this. A joint study by The Washington Post and the University of California found that creating just one 100-word AI-generated email requires 0.14 kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 14 LED bulbs for an hour.

Suppose you send just one AI-drafted email per week. That means you’re using around 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year—the same as the hourly power consumption of 9 households in Washington, D.C.

Now imagine thousands of long prompts being sent to AI chatbots around the world every day. It’s turning into a giant electricity trap.

Globally, AI-powered data centers use about 2% of the world’s total electricity consumption, and this is constantly growing.

So What Should We Do?

Saying “thank you” or “please” to AI is definitely a sign of politeness. But we must remember—even these actions have an environmental impact.

So if you want to show appreciation to ChatGPT, give it a thought—how about writing that email yourself? You’ll help the environment, and keep your brain active too!

Editorial Comment: Politeness is a human virtue. But in this technological era, this new level of courtesy is not only making AI responses better, it’s also putting pressure on the environment. If we want a sustainable future, our usage should also be more conscious and environmentally friendly.

Share your opinion Do you interact politely with AI? Did you know that even small acts of courtesy can impact the environment? Share your thoughts by commenting on biggani.org!