By Sushant Agarwal
Published on | Apr 21, 2025
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reveals that saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT comes at a high cost.
Altman confirms that courteous interactions cost OpenAI tens of millions in electricity expenses.
Each polite reply means more computation—translating to huge energy consumption in data centers.
Powerful servers need energy to process chats and stay cool, pushing up electricity bills.
Despite the high costs, Altman calls it money “well spent” for a better user experience.
No. Altman didn’t ask users to change; OpenAI values respectful interactions.
Experts like Microsoft’s Kurtis Beavers say politeness encourages respectful AI responses.
Microsoft WorkLab notes that generative AI mirrors the professionalism in user prompts.
Your polite tone can shape friendlier, more helpful ChatGPT replies—so keep it up!