OpenAI's ChatGPT Politeness Costs Tens of Millions
1min read OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that the polite interactions users have with ChatGPT, such as saying "please" and "thank you," are adding significant costs to the company. Altman disclosed that these extra tokens from users' polite language have accumulated to "tens of millions of dollars." This revelation came in response to a question on X, where a user inquired about the electricity costs incurred by OpenAI due to users' polite interactions with their models. Altman responded that the cost is "tens of millions of dollars well spent," suggesting that the company views these expenses as a necessary investment.
The cost arises from the additional computational load required to process these polite phrases. Altman's admission highlights the unexpected financial implications of user behavior on AI systems. While it might seem trivial, the cumulative effect of millions of users being polite to ChatGPT has a substantial impact on the company's operational costs. This includes increased energy consumption and computing resources needed to handle the extra tokens generated by polite language.
Despite the financial burden, Altman's statement indicates that OpenAI sees value in these interactions. The company's perspective aligns with some experts in AI design who believe that polite language can influence the tone and quality of AI responses. This interaction dynamic is seen as beneficial for generating respectful and collaborative outputs from AI systems.
The revelation also underscores the broader implications of user behavior on AI systems. As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, the way users interact with these systems can have significant financial and operational impacts. OpenAI's experience with ChatGPT serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor aspects of user behavior can have far-reaching consequences for companies developing and maintaining AI technologies.
