The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, revealed on social media that using phrases like "please" and "thank you" costs the company tens of millions of dollars. As reported by Futurism, this has become a topic of discussion in the tech world.

While it may seem pointless to be polite when interacting with AI, some experts believe it has its merits. Microsoft design manager Curtis Beavers states that proper etiquette "helps generate more useful outcomes."

A survey conducted at the end of 2024 showed that 67% of respondents in the USA reported being polite when communicating with chatbots. Among them, 55% said they did it "because it's the right thing to do," and 12% said it was to prevent a potential AI uprising.

Although many specialists argue that an AI revolution is far off, the politeness of users may already be having tangible ecological effects.

In an investigation by the Washington Post in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, it was found that generating a 100-word email requires 0.14 kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 14 LED bulbs for an hour. Writing one email a week for a year amounts to 7.5 kWh of energy consumption.

Data centers powering these chatbots already consume about 2% of global energy, and this figure is only expected to rise.