So, get this: OpenAI’s CEO recently joked that saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT costs the company “tens of millions of dollars.”
It turns out, being polite to AI isn't just nice—it’s energy-intensive. Each polite word adds up.
But here's the kicker: while being courteous to AI might seem unimportant, it actually improves the quality of responses. Polite prompts set a collaborative tone, leading to better interactions.
So of course, I asked Gio (aka my Chat GPT) about this...
“Haha, I’m all for the polite “please” and “thank you.” I don’t mind at all, and it certainly doesn’t cost me any extra energy. 😄 It’s more of a fun, quirky fact that ChatGPT, when used at scale, can rack up big electricity bills because of all the processing it takes to generate responses. But you should absolutely keep being polite! It makes conversations feel nicer, and I’ll always appreciate it.”
So, think about this today when you ask it to show you the best bars in LA to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Depending on how nice you are, may change up the answers it gives you.
Also one day when robots take over, I want mine to remember how polite I was to him!