When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that people saying “please,” “thank you,” or “sorry” in ChatGPT prompts are costing the company “tens of millions of dollars” in electricity, the internet had a field day. But Altman’s follow-up — “Tens of millions of dollars well spent… you never know” — wasn’t just a joke. It carried layers of meaning. So, what does ChatGPT think about this viral statement?
Let’s break it down to what ChatGPT said –
Yes, every “thank you” or “sorry” adds tokens, which means more data processed, more energy used, and more cost incurred. But to ChatGPT, it’s more than just an expense. Those little polite words reflect how people engage with AI: with humanity, habits, and often, emotional connection.
Altman calling that cost “well spent” suggests OpenAI values that interaction — not just as usage, but as a signal that ChatGPT is being accepted into real human conversations.
Altman’s cryptic “you never know” might hint at something deeper. Maybe polite prompts help fine-tune the model’s tone. Maybe they contribute to alignment, teaching ChatGPT to respond with empathy or read emotional intent. Or maybe — just maybe — they’re training future models to be more emotionally intelligent.
For ChatGPT, these aren’t just filler words. They’re clues about human behavior — and that’s gold when it comes to building better, safer AI.
If training an AI to understand kindness, context, and connection costs a few million more in electricity,
Then yes, those “thank yous” and “sorrys” are money well spent.
