Talking to ChatGPT drains energy. These other things are worse.

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• 00:02

  The company behind ChatGBT has told its users that being polite to their AI chatbot is expensive.

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  Saying hello and please and thank you,

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  it costs the company tens of millions of dollars in computing and energy bills.

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  I don't really use ChatGBT that much, except sometimes for little things,

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  like this week when I asked it, can dogs eat kiwi?

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  The answer, by the way, yes, but in moderation.

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  I almost always say thank you.

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  It somehow feels rude and wrong not to.

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  I've heard so many things about how much energy ChatGBT devours.

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  And hearing that announcement from them back in April, I've been wondering,

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  is it worth it to get a quick answer to my stupid question?

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  But then, I also wonder, when the machines eventually take over,

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  will ChatGBT remember that at least I was polite?

• 00:53

  Well, I would never argue with getting on the good side of our robot overlords.

• 01:00

  From the Newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports.

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  I'm Colby Echoitz.

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  It's Monday, October 6.

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  Today, we're talking about how AI chatbots earned a reputation as energy hungry beasts.

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  How bad are they really?

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  And how do all the other things we do online compare?

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