"Being kind is free" – not according to ChatGPT, which pays millions for 'please' and 'thank you'
A short X post on April 16 sparked a big reaction: a user asked how much money OpenAI loses because people add polite phrases like "please" and "thank you" in ChatGPT. The surprising reply came straight from CEO Sam Altman: “Tens of millions of dollars.” Every prompt, no matter how brief, consumes a significant amount of energy.
According to a Washington Post analysis, generating a single 100-word AI email uses about 0.14 kWh of electricity. Do that once a week and you'll burn through roughly 7.5 kWh a year, about the same as a modern fridge running for two weeks. Multiply that by millions of daily prompts worldwide and it becomes clear why digital politeness is no longer just a formality. Energy analysts estimate that AI systems now account for around 2% of global electricity use, more than many industrial sectors.
Reddit between humor and cynicism
On the subreddit r/nottheonion, known for its bizarre but real headlines, the news about “polite electricity consumption” sparked a wave of ironic responses. One user quipped: “Mom always said it doesn’t cost anything to be nice – but turns out she was wrong.” Others took a more critical stance, warning that this focus might distract from bigger energy issues, like industrial emissions or luxury lifestyles. The critique: instead of debating the cost of saying “please” and “thank you,” we should be talking about data centers, heated pools and the carbon footprint of wealthy nations.
