Being polite to ChatGPT might feel good—but it’s also shockingly expensive. According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, polite language like “please” and “thank you” can actually increase the cost of running the AI model by millions of dollars in electricity.
A Curious Question Sparked the Reveal
Last week, a user asked Altman a funny but insightful question:
“How much extra electricity is used when people say please and thank you to ChatGPT?”
To everyone’s surprise, Altman replied that such politeness could raise OpenAI’s electricity bill by millions of dollars.
Survey Shows Most Users Are Polite to AI
A recent February survey revealed that 67% of American users are polite while using AI chatbots. About 18% believe being polite leads to better and more accurate answers. Meanwhile, the remaining 82% simply think it’s the right thing to be polite, whether you’re talking to humans or machines.
Kindness May Shape Better AI Responses
Politeness doesn’t just feel good—it might also improve performance.
Curtis Byver, a design director at Microsoft, shared in a blog that kind words can shape the tone of AI replies. He wrote, “Polite language helps set a style for AI responses,” meaning that if you’re nice to ChatGPT, it’s likely to respond in a friendlier, more helpful way.
But That Kindness Comes at a High Energy Cost
However, being too kind isn’t without its downside. According to a report by the Electric Power Research Institute, ChatGPT uses 10 times more electricity than a typical Google search. And this estimate doesn’t even include power used for extra responses like summaries.
The Billion-Dollar Energy Bill Behind ChatGPT
A study by BestBrokers, a financial advisory firm, found that ChatGPT may need around 1.059 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That adds up to nearly $139.7 million annually—just for energy!
ChatGPT Also Drinks Up a Lot of Water
Power isn’t the only thing ChatGPT consumes. It also needs a surprising amount of water to keep its servers cool. According to a study from the University of California, Riverside, generating a 100-word email might require 1,408 milliliters of water—around three regular-sized water bottles. Even short replies like “You’re welcome” can use 40 to 50 milliliters of water.
OpenAI Can Afford It—For Now
Despite the massive power and water needs, OpenAI seems financially ready to manage it. Earlier this month, the company raised a $40 billion investment based on a $300 billion valuation, showing strong confidence from tech investors.
