Running artificial intelligence (AI) models is an expensive operation requiring powerful hardware and massive energy consumption. Even casual pleasantries like saying “thank you” to a chatbot may be driving up costs for companies like OpenAI. So why are they willing to pay the price — and could your politeness be worsening the global water crisis?
Sky-high operational costs
Behind the scenes of tools like ChatGPT are soaring expenses — not just from initial development but from ongoing infrastructure demands. Estimates suggest that each prompt costs around 40 agorot (10 cents). A widely cited 2023 figure put ChatGPT’s daily operating costs at NIS 2.5 million ($700,000).
Surprisingly, a significant portion of this expense comes from simple, polite interactions with the chatbot.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has acknowledged the steep cost of running ChatGPT, citing millions of dollars in operating expenses. He revealed that even short exchanges and courteous messages like “please” and “thanks” add up.
Still, Altman believes the investment is worth it, saying these seemingly minor exchanges make the AI experience feel “more human and pleasant.”
While many users rely on AI for daily tasks, others form deeper, more conversational relationships with chatbots. Despite knowing these tools don’t “feel,” people often use polite language instinctively due to the bots’ human-like responses.
The environmental cost of being polite
Beyond financial costs, there’s a growing environmental concern. Recent studies, including from UC Riverside and UT Arlington, show that training and running large language models (LLMs) require large amounts of water to cool data centers.
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One estimate suggests a typical conversation with ChatGPT may “consume” around half a liter of water (about 17 oz). When multiplied across millions of interactions, that digital politeness becomes a resource issue.
Despite the costs, companies like OpenAI continue to prioritize natural interactions. Pre-programming default replies to common phrases might seem efficient but experts say it risks making conversations feel robotic.
Meanwhile, researchers warn of growing emotional dependence on AI chatbots, with some users forming deep attachments. In cases where access is lost, users may even experience withdrawal-like symptoms.
Does politeness make AI perform better?
Interestingly, some studies suggest that chatbots perform better when treated politely. Researchers describe this as a form of emotional manipulation — talk nicely to the bot and it may respond more effectively. However, it’s unclear whether this is a consistent phenomenon or limited to specific models and scenarios.
At the end of the day, saying “thank you” to a chatbot may be a genuine expression — especially if it helped with a tough problem or an important exam. And if you're paying for a premium version, those interactions are part of the service you’re funding. Whether politeness “counts” more when it comes from a paid user remains an open question.
Looking ahead, should AI ever develop consciousness, those polite exchanges might just pay off after all.