TLDR:
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed users saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT costs the company tens of millions of dollars
- 67% of American users are polite to AI assistants, with 55% doing so because they feel it’s right
- A single ChatGPT query uses between 0.3-3 watt-hours of electricity depending on estimates
- Despite rising costs, OpenAI expects to triple revenue to $12.7 billion this year
- OpenAI doesn’t expect to be cash-flow positive until 2029
OpenAI is spending tens of millions of dollars just to process polite phrases like “please” and “thank you” from ChatGPT users, according to CEO Sam Altman. In a recent exchange on X (formerly Twitter), Altman confirmed the high cost but added, “Tens of millions of dollars well spent — you never know.”
tens of millions of dollars well spent–you never know
— Sam Altman (@sama) April 16, 2025
The revelation came after Altman was asked to estimate the cost of processing courtesy words on the platform. Despite the expense, the OpenAI chief seems to view it as a necessary investment in making AI interactions more human-like.
This cost stems from the computing power and electricity needed to generate even simple responses. Every interaction with ChatGPT requires processing power, regardless of how brief the exchange might be.
A December 2024 survey by Future found that 67% of American users are polite to AI assistants. Of those, 55% do so because they believe it’s the right thing to do, while 12% are concerned that mistreating AI could have negative consequences in the future.
The Environmental Impact
The resource requirements for AI interactions extend beyond financial costs. There is ongoing debate about the electricity consumption of ChatGPT queries.
A 2023 research paper from Digiconomist founder Alex de Vries estimated that a single ChatGPT query uses around three watt-hours of electricity. However, data analyst Josh You from AI research institute Epoch AI argues this figure is too high, suggesting it’s closer to 0.3 watt-hours due to improvements in models and hardware.
Recent reports indicate that even a short three-word response like “You are welcome” from a large language model can use 40-50 milliliters of water. This water is primarily used for cooling the data centers that power these AI systems.
One X user questioned why ChatGPT doesn’t have a system to save costs on processing courtesy words. Altman has previously stated that the cost of AI output has been falling tenfold every year as AI models become more efficient.
The Psychology of AI Politeness
Many users have formed deeper connections with AI and converse with it as they would with a friend. This behavior persists despite the common understanding that “computers cannot feel.”
Some users, like engineer Carl Youngblood, believe treating AI with courtesy is a “moral imperative.” Youngblood explained his reasoning on social media: “I do it out of self-interest. Callousness in our daily interactions causes our interpersonal skills to atrophy.”
Other users admit they interact politely with AI bots in case the technology becomes sentient in the future. They hope their past courteous behavior might be remembered favorably.
When I talk to ChatGPT I end the convo with
“Thank you so much, I hope you have a good day! :)”
That way when ai enslaves humanity I won’t be turned into slave
One of the robots will step up when it’s my turn to get whipped
“Wait! I know him” and save me
— , (@Zvbear) March 28, 2025
Researchers at OpenAI and MIT suggest that some people may become emotionally dependent or even addicted to AI chatbots. This dependency could increase as AI conversations become harder to distinguish from human ones, potentially leading to withdrawal symptoms.
Despite the high costs, OpenAI expects to more than triple its revenue this year to $12.7 billion. This growth comes even as competition intensifies from companies like China’s DeepSeek.
However, the company does not expect to achieve positive cash flow until 2029, when it projects revenue to exceed $125 billion. Until then, these polite interactions will continue to contribute to OpenAI’s expenses.
For premium users who pay on a per-token basis, these courtesy responses are included in their subscription. For the millions of free users, their polite interactions add to OpenAI’s operational costs.
Altman’s comment that these millions are “well spent” suggests that the company values natural human-AI interaction enough to absorb these expenses as part of their business model.
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