Why should you not say please to ChatGPT?

Why "Please" Costs More Than Politeness

You might think saying "please" when asking a question is harmless—after all, it’s basic courtesy. But in the world of AI, every word counts, and that tiny two-letter word could be contributing to massive energy bills.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently revealed that unnecessary polite language in AI prompts—like "please" or "thank you"—adds up in ways most people never considered. Every word typed into a system like ChatGPT is processed as a "token," a unit of data the AI must analyze, interpret, and respond to. More tokens mean more computing power, which translates directly into higher electricity consumption.

And the cost? Tens of millions of dollars annually, according to internal estimates. While a single "please" seems trivial, multiply that by billions of prompts across millions of users, and the numbers become staggering. AI doesn’t respond to tone—it responds to data. So that extra politeness doesn’t make the response better, faster, or smarter. It just makes the system work harder.

This isn’t about discouraging kindness—it’s about efficiency. In a digital ecosystem where speed and scalability matter, streamlining communication means faster responses and lower environmental impact. Think of it like driving: revving your engine unnecessarily doesn’t get you to your destination any quicker.

The takeaway? Be clear, be direct. You don’t need to apologize to a machine. In fact, skipping the niceties might just help keep AI sustainable for everyone. Politeness has its place—just maybe not in the prompt box.