Polite Words to AI Cause Millions in Energy Waste, Says Altman

Polite words like "please" and "thank you" have been costing OpenAI millions, it was admitted by CEO Sam Altman. The energy used by AI models rises with every word, even the kind ones.

It was joked on X that these polite words are driving up energy bills. Altman replied that tens of millions of dollars were spent, and he considered it worth it. "You never know," was added.

Even though AI is not a person, polite inputs were encouraged by some experts. Microsoft's Kurtis Beavers said that respectful prompts help AI give better, more professional replies.

It was noted by Microsoft that AI often mirrors the tone it is given. So if users are polite, polite responses are more likely.

A survey from late 2024 found that 67% of Americans used polite language with chatbots. Many said they did it because it felt right. A few said they did it just in case robots rise up.

While that idea sounds far off, the cost to the environment is already here. Each AI-generated email uses enough energy to light 14 LED bulbs for an hour.

If one AI email is sent every week for a year, that could use as much electricity as nine homes in Washington DC use in an hour. Now imagine how much energy is used by millions of long chatbot conversations.

Data centers that run AI already use 2% of the world’s electricity. That number may rise fast as AI becomes more common.

So next time a chatbot is thanked, a simple email written by hand might be the better choice. It would save power — and give the brain some exercise.

📌Source : futurism