Saying please to ChatGPT costs millions.
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Being polite to your AI might make you feel warm and fuzzy, but it’s also burning through millions in electricity – literally.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman admitted that he has to say “please” and thank you when interacting with chatbots such as ChatGPT. Stacking Here are some ideas to get you started. Tens of Millions of Dollars Calculating costs. Altman responded to a cheeky tweet on X, formerly Twitter, by saying that it was “tens and millions of dollars spent well.” Why? “You never know,” he added – a remark equal parts cryptic and comedic.
What may sound like a joke from the digital age, has a powerful environmental impact. A Washington Post A study found that a 100-word AI generated email takes about 0.14 kilowatt-hours of electricity – about 37% of the electricity that an average Spanish home uses in one hour, according to Repsol.
Microsoft’s design manager Kurtis Beavers, however, argues that courtesy isn’t wasted – it’s programming with purpose. “Using polite words sets a tone of the response,” he says. Microsoft’s “ internal memos suggest generative AI mirrors the professionalism and clarity of the input it receives – like an extremely clever parrot with manners.
There’s still a larger issue that is brewing. Data centres that power these AI tools are already hoovering up around 2% of global electricity – and that figure is rising.
A 2024 survey revealed 67% of Americans sweet talk their AI. Over half said this was “just the thing to be done,” and 12% hoped that it could spare them from an AI revolt.
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