It is well known that the use of AI consumes large amounts of energy from countless powerful servers. At the same time, many users write little more than plain instructions to AI models, while indulging in some politeness.
Last week, a user on X directly asked how much extra electricity costs all these “thank yous” and “please” contribute. In response, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, said: “Well-spent tens of millions of dollars – you never know.” Altman’s answer does not seem to be based on any actual calculations, but some have taken it upon themselves to investigate.
For example, last fall, The Washington Post, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, attempted to determine how much it costs to generate an AI-written email of 100 words. They assessed that it consumes 0.14 kilowatt-hours, which is equivalent to having 14 LED lights on for an hour.
Kurtis Beavers from Microsoft, who is part of the design team for the AI program Microsoft Copilot, states on Microsoft’s WorkLab site that there is also a point to politeness, writes USA Today. Using polite language sets the tone for the response. Kurtis Beavers points out that it is more likely for the AI model to respond in a polite and more collaborative manner when greeted with a polite tone. He even recommends using “please” at the beginning of a prompt, an instruction for receiving a specific type of help. So, what does ChatGPT say about whether politeness generates better responses?
“No, you do not get better or worse answers depending on how polite you are with me – I always respond objectively and as well as I can, regardless of tone. But I always appreciate kindness!”
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