In the age of AI, politeness comes with a price—literally. You might be surprised to know that OpenAI, the team that built ChatGPT, spends millions yearly just to manage polite words like “please” and “thank you.” While it may sound trivial, this practice reflects a deeper philosophy about how AI should interact with humans—and what it takes to make those interactions feel more natural.

Let’s take a deeper look at why politeness in AI matters and why OpenAI is willing to foot such a hefty bill.

Why Politeness Matters in AI Conversations

AI tools like ChatGPT are designed to assist users in everything from drafting emails and writing code to casual conversation and therapy-like support. In such interactions, tone and human-like behavior are crucial. When users say “please” or “thank you,” they’re not just adding fluff—they’re engaging with AI in a way that feels more like a real conversation.

OpenAI understands this and has made the decision to treat every word seriously, even the polite ones. By responding appropriately to courteous language, ChatGPT reinforces positive social behavior and builds trust between humans and machines. This makes the user experience feel more natural, personalized, and respectful.

But Why Does It Cost So Much?

Training and running AI models isn’t cheap. Every prompt, no matter how small, goes through powerful data centers equipped with GPUs (graphics processing units) that consume large amounts of electricity. Even a simple “thank you” must be processed and analyzed using vast computational resources.
When you multiply this by the millions of users interacting with ChatGPT daily, those polite exchanges add up—fast. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, mentioned that while it may sound strange, there's a real cost to having AI process and respond to such niceties. The result? Tens of millions of dollars annually.

The Bigger Picture: Building More Human AI

Sam Altman and OpenAI aren't simply investing in politeness for the sake of good manners. The true goal is to build AI that behaves like a helpful, understanding assistant. This requires ChatGPT to not only respond to commands but also understand nuance, tone, and emotional context.
Imagine saying, “Thanks, that was really helpful!”—a machine that acknowledges the gratitude and responds accordingly (“You’re welcome! Happy to help.”) feels far more intelligent and engaging than one that simply says “Done.” It’s these little touches that make AI more approachable and useful in everyday life.

Scaling with Sustainability in Mind

While OpenAI is currently absorbing these costs, it brings up an important question: how sustainable is this model? If politeness costs millions, what happens when usage increases exponentially? Some analysts suggest that OpenAI will eventually need to find more efficient ways to process these interactions, possibly by refining their models or creating faster infrastructure.
There’s also the possibility that more polite or conversational responses could become part of a premium offering, helping the company offset the massive operational costs associated with high-volume AI queries.

The Future of Conversational AI

By spending on casual conversation, OpenAI is reflecting a bigger shift in AI—where emotional intelligence and tone matter just as much as how fast or accurate the system is. As competitors rush to build their own AI systems, the ability to have natural, friendly conversations could become a key differentiator.
For businesses, educators, and developers, this offers a lesson in UX design—user experience is not just about functionality but about how interactions feel. Whether you're creating an AI chatbot, an app, or a website, embedding emotional intelligence can turn average products into memorable ones.

The next time you type “please” or “thank you” into ChatGPT, remember: there’s a high-tech, multi-million-dollar operation working behind the scenes to make that interaction meaningful. OpenAI’s bold investment in politeness is a testament to how much they value human-like interaction—and it just might shape the future of how we talk to machines.