Sam Altman: Why politeness to AI costs millions

Being polite is free.

Unless your name is Sam Altman and you’re the CEO of OpenAI.

On X this week, a ChatGPT user wondered ,"I wonder how much money OpenAI has lost in electricity costs from people saying 'please” and “thank you” to their AI models of choice.

Altman replied, “tens of millions of dollars well spent–you never know.”

A large language learning model doesn’t care if I’m polite or impolite. And I don’t buy into the arguments of the culture warriors who claim saying “thanks” instills empathy and emotional awareness.

It’s a robot, not a person. And this robot charges me $20 per month to use it.

But I still say thanks to AI when I have time. Chances are, you do as well.

A survey released in February by publisher Future found that 67% of people using AI in the U.S. are polite.

When I treat AI like this, it usually suggests a follow-up prompt I can ask, like this one, when I asked AI about cooking a steak on a BBQ.

I’d wager that’s because the more context you give AI (even if it’s an implied emotional tone), the easier it can predict what you want next.

I’m also a big fan of firing up ChatGPT with my mobile and bashing out a voice prompt as if I were talking to a friend. Conversational prompts, which naturally include an element of politeness, often generate better outputs than heavily scripted ones. They’re also easier to say than write. And AI can help you untangle any misunderstandings.

If you need help mastering AI, check out PromptWritingStudio. Every week, I provide practical prompts and frameworks you can use to take charge of AI. Please and thank you not required.