The phrase “chivalry isn’t dead” might be an exaggeration, but a recent admission from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggests that politeness towards AI chatbots is draining his company’s resources. He revealed that people saying “please” and “thank you” to their models costs tens of millions of dollars.
However, AI architects argue that treating chatbots with respect generates better outputs. Microsoft’s Kurtis Beavers notes that polite language sets a tone for the response, making it more likely to be respectful in return. A survey found that 67% of US respondents were nice to their chatbots, with many citing kindness as the primary reason.
The environmental impact of these interactions is significant. Generating a single email can power an LED light for an hour, and sending multiple emails daily can lead to substantial energy consumption. The data centers powering chatbots already account for about 2% of global energy usage, a number set to increase as AI becomes more pervasive.
With the growing environmental concerns surrounding AI, it’s worth considering whether the benefits of using chatbots are worth the cost. Perhaps ditching the chatbot and writing an email yourself is the more eco-friendly option – your brain and the earth will thank you.
Source: https://futurism.com/altman-please-thanks-chatgpt