Your ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ Cost OpenAI More Than You Think
Imagine someone asks you a simple question, you reply, and their polite little “thank you” ends up costing you tens of millions of dollars. Sounds unbelievable, right?
But here’s the twist, it’s actually happening in the world of AI.
Yes, dear Boztech readers, even a simple courtesy like “please” or “thanks” to ChatGPT comes with a real-world cost. In this article, we’re unpacking the surprising truth behind how politeness toward AI is adding up to massive expenses for companies like OpenAI.
Curious how a few extra words are burning through millions? Let’s find out.
The Hidden Cost of Courtesy in AI Interactions
Let’s be honest here, how many times have you typed something like, “Please, can you rephrase this for me?” or “Thank you, that’s great, but can you make it even better?” It feels natural, doesn’t it? After all, we’re just being polite, right? But here’s the catch: each time we send a query, those words aren’t free. They cost energy, water, and ultimately, money.
Every time you ask a question or make a request, that query is processed by high-powered servers that rely on immense computing power. Even if you’re only asking for a slight tweak or an update like “please do this” or “please don’t put it that way”, all those polite words are contributing to the total computational load. It may feel like a few extra keystrokes don’t matter, but add them up over millions of interactions, and that’s where the real costs start to show.
It’s not just about politeness. It’s about the hidden energy consumed to fulfill your simple “thank you,” which, unbeknownst to many, translates into significant expenses for the companies running these AI systems. While the machine itself doesn’t care, the company behind it certainly does.
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When Politeness Gets Pricey
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, put it plainly when asked about the electricity costs of adding polite words to prompts.
His response? “Tens of millions of dollars well spent, you never know.”
Polite AI interactions may feel like nothing more than good manners, but they are draining resources, specifically, energy, water, and money. When it comes to training models, Generative AI is one of the biggest energy consumers. A few extra words may seem small, but multiply them by millions of users and you’re looking at a massive increase in resource consumption.
While politeness is always appreciated, the unintended side effect is that every extra word you add has a financial and environmental impact. So, next time you politely ask an AI for help, know that it’s not just your good manners at work, it’s a real-world cost being tallied up.
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What Your AI Query Really Consumes
Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when you ask ChatGPT a simple question? Let’s pull back the curtain. Each query you make doesn’t just float into the digital ether, it triggers a massive chain of events in data centers across the globe. These centers house powerful machines running 24/7, consuming huge amounts of electricity. In fact, according to Goldman Sachs, each ChatGPT-4 query uses about ten times more energy than a standard Google search.
Now, imagine if 10% of America’s workforce used GPT-4 just once a week for a whole year. That alone would consume the same amount of electricity as all the households in Washington, D.C. would use in 20 days. That’s how quickly it adds up.
But the consumption doesn’t stop at electricity. AI systems also require water to cool those powerful servers, and the amount of water is staggering. A study from UC Riverside showed that generating just 100 words with GPT-4 uses as much water as three bottles. And if you think a short reply like “You’re welcome” is no big deal, think again, it uses about 1.5 ounces of water.
With industry leaders raising alarms, experts predict that by 2030, AI could account for up to 25% of America’s total power consumption. That’s a huge leap from its current 4%.
Here’s a question for you: how often do you find yourself saying “please” or “thank you” to an AI? It’s a simple, polite gesture, but after reading this, you might start thinking twice about how those digital pleasantries add up.
Wrapping It Up
So, next time you find yourself thanking an AI or politely requesting its assistance, remember that your words aren’t as free as they seem. While it’s lovely to be polite, it’s important to understand the hidden costs of these small actions. Even the simplest exchanges contribute to the growing energy demand that comes with AI’s increasing popularity.
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