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Sunak: AI Politeness Wastes Compute Power
19 Feb
Summary
- Sunak advised his daughters against politeness with AI.
- Polite AI interactions consume significant compute power.
- Gen Z uses courteous language with chatbots, survey shows.
At the NDTV AI Summit, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed the surprising energy demands of artificial intelligence. He shared an anecdote about his daughters' politeness towards AI chatbots like ChatGPT, advising them against it due to the significant compute power consumed. His daughters, however, playfully suggested it was an "insurance policy" in case AI eventually takes over the world.
This discussion touched upon hidden AI costs, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously noting 'tens of millions of dollars' spent on electricity for polite exchanges. A 2025 survey indicated over 69% of Gen Z respondents use courteous language with chatbots. Some experts believe respectful prompts can yield better AI responses by mirroring tone and professionalism.
AI tools are energy-intensive; a 2024 Goldman Sachs report estimated a chatbot query uses 2.9 watt-hours, far exceeding a standard Google search. Meanwhile, AI pioneer Stuart Russell voiced long-term concerns about advanced AI, suggesting a significant risk of human extinction and calling for safeguards like a 'kill switch' to prevent loss of human control.
