The politeness paradox in human-AI interaction highlights deeper tensions about how we relate to technology. With Americans using courteous language with AI systems, the debate over whether to say “please” and “thank you” to chatbots reveals complex social dynamics about technological boundaries and efficiency. OpenAI‘s CEO even acknowledges that such politeness taxes their systems with unnecessary processing, creating financial and environmental costs many users never consider.
The politeness divide: Some users maintain rigid boundaries between humans and machines by deliberately avoiding courteous language with AI.
- The article’s author admits to never using pleasantries with ChatGPT, preferring a “no-frills approach” that distinguishes how they interact with technology versus humans.
- This stance challenges the assumption that how one treats AI reflects their real-world social behavior, suggesting instead that different contexts warrant different communication styles.
The financial reality: Unnecessary politeness with AI systems creates measurable business impacts for companies running these services.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that users saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT costs the company millions in additional processing power.
- These extra words not only affect the business bottom line but also increase environmental impact through greater energy consumption.
The efficiency argument: Direct communication with AI may represent practical time management rather than rudeness.
- Many users avoid pleasantries with AI simply because they’re “in a hurry” and focused on getting results quickly.
- This approach treats AI interactions as tool use rather than simulated social exchanges.
The surprising statistics: Research reveals most Americans anthropomorphize AI through their communication patterns.
- A 2024 Future study found that 67% of US people are polite to AI systems, a percentage the author describes as “staggeringly high.”
- This widespread behavior suggests many users either unconsciously extend human social norms to machines or feel uncomfortable breaking these norms even with non-human entities.
The consciousness threshold: Some argue that politeness toward AI should be contingent on machine sentience rather than human habit.
- The author suggests they would start using “please” and “thank you” if ChatGPT ever reached a level of consciousness beyond today’s pattern-matching algorithms.
- This position frames AI politeness as a question of authentic respect rather than habitual behavior.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...