Saying “Please” And “Thank You” to ChatGPT Cost OpenAI Millions – Altman – Tekedia [English]

Article Type | Reading Time | Difficulty Level
News Analysis | 5 mins | Intermediate

By Samuel Nwite | Tekedia | Read the full article in English

In a fascinating exploration of human-AI interaction, a recent discussion emerged about the potential energy costs of being polite to artificial intelligence. What started as a casual social media comment quickly caught the attention of OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, who playfully suggested that saying "please" and "thank you" to AI models might cost the company millions of dollars.

The conversation delves into the technical nuances of AI energy consumption, revealing that each AI response requires significant computational power. While adding extra words like "please" does incrementally increase energy use, experts suggest the actual cost is minimal. More interestingly, the discussion highlights how politeness might actually influence AI responses, with some professionals noting that courteous language can subtly shape the tone and quality of an AI's output.

Beyond the technical details, this story touches on a deeper human tendency to anthropomorphize technology. As AI becomes more sophisticated and conversational, people are naturally starting to treat these systems more like companions than machines. This shift raises intriguing questions about our evolving relationship with artificial intelligence and how we communicate with increasingly intelligent technological systems.

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