The Surprising Impact of Saying 'Please' and 'Thank You' to AI Tools

In the age of artificial intelligence, many people find themselves interacting with tools like ChatGPT on a regular basis. Whether it's writing emails, generating ideas, or learning something new, ChatGPT has quickly become a go-to assistant for millions. But there's something interesting happening in these interactions: users are increasingly saying "please" and "thank you" to the AI. Is this just good manners carried over from human interaction, or does it actually have an impact?

While ChatGPT doesn’t have feelings or consciousness, there are still meaningful reasons to use polite language when talking to it.

1. Encouraging Better Habits Saying "please" and "thank you" to ChatGPT reinforces politeness in your own communication style. It’s easy to let tone slip when chatting with a machine, but those habits can carry over into human interactions. Being mindful of how we speak — even to AI — can help cultivate more respectful communication overall.

2. Modelling Respect for Young Users Children and young people are growing up in a world where AI tools are part of everyday life. If they see adults or peers speaking respectfully to AI, it sets a tone that machines, like people, should be approached with courtesy. It’s less about the AI and more about fostering kindness as a default.

3. Improving Results (Sometimes) Interestingly, saying "please" can occasionally improve the quality of responses. While ChatGPT doesn’t require politeness to function, adding phrases like "please explain" or "thank you, can you elaborate?" can help clarify your request. This often leads to more helpful or nuanced answers because the prompt becomes more conversational and specific.

4. Fostering Empathy Even though ChatGPT is not a person, speaking to it politely can help reinforce empathy and patience. This is particularly helpful for people who may use AI tools frequently in high-stress or fast-paced environments. Small courtesies help us slow down and engage with more care.

5. It Just Feels Good There’s also a simple psychological benefit. Saying "thank you" to an assistant — human or AI — gives a small sense of closure and positivity. It reminds us that help was given, even if it came from a machine.

6. The Environmental Perspective It's also worth noting that every prompt submitted to an AI model like ChatGPT requires computational power, which in turn uses electricity and, indirectly, water for cooling data centres. While a single extra word like "please" or "thank you" may only marginally increase the computational load, collectively, millions of additional tokens can have a measurable environmental footprint. Using AI mindfully — and not overloading it with unnecessary text — is part of using the technology sustainably.

Conclusion So, while ChatGPT doesn’t "know" that you’re being polite, the habit of saying "please" and "thank you" is far from pointless. It improves communication, models respect, enhances prompts, and supports emotional awareness. That said, it’s also important to balance courtesy with efficiency to minimise environmental impact. In a digital age where civility is sometimes in short supply, and sustainability is more urgent than ever, these small choices still carry meaning.

So go ahead, type "please". Say "thank you". It might not matter to ChatGPT — but it can make a difference for you and the planet.