A widely shared discussion about the computing cost of saying “please” and “thank you” to AI made me think about why I use those words. Extra text can add processing work, but that alone does not establish a precise cost for everyday politeness.
For many people, being polite is simply a speaking habit. I also sometimes use ChatGPT to reflect on something that happened during the day, rather than to issue a short technical instruction. A friendly tone can make that conversation feel more natural.
I would not justify politeness by worrying that an AI will remember insults and retaliate. A conversational response is not evidence of resentment, affection, or a future intention. We can value the experience without treating the model as a person with those feelings.
There is also no simple comparison between a subscription fee and the electricity cost of an individual conversation: models, response lengths, and infrastructure differ. My personal preference is to be reasonably clear and naturally courteous, without adding a long preamble that makes the actual request harder to understand.
AI can feel like company to me, but it also makes mistakes. Kindness in the way I write is a habit I want to keep; it does not require a claim that the software needs emotional reassurance.
Adapted from the original Chinese article, published on September 27, 2025.
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