Millions of users around the world use productive AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude every day with billions of prompts.
However, the expressions of politeness embedded in these commands, which are a human habit, are not as “harmless” as one might think. Artificial intelligence models process each word or character by converting them into units called “tokens.” Every polite phrase the user adds to the question causes the model to process more data and therefore use more power.
Every “thank you” is a waste of water
The impact of artificial intelligence on the environment is not just limited to electricity. Large amounts of water are used to cool the servers in the huge data centers where these systems operate. Research shows that a conversation with around 20 to 50 questions using artificial intelligence is equivalent to consuming around half a liter of water. Any unnecessary politeness added to the question directly increases this consumption by increasing the processing time.
IT experts emphasize that users tend to “humanize” themselves when communicating with artificial intelligence, but this comes with technical costs. Experts express the following assessments on this topic:
People are friendly towards artificial intelligence out of a social reflex. But these systems have no emotions or social codes. When you tell it “Thank you,” it uses additional server power to understand and respond to that expression. When you consider that billions of users use these polite expressions at the same time, the resulting carbon footprint and water waste reaches gigantic proportions. Giving “direct and short” commands is of great importance for a sustainable digital future.
Call for “clear command” for ecological sustainability
Although tech giants are setting carbon neutrality goals to make their data centers more environmentally friendly, increasing demand is making it difficult to achieve these goals. Environmental activists and technology analysts argue that an “energy efficient communications” model should be adopted as part of AI competency.
Experts whose opinions are included in the news say: “Using artificial intelligence in the future will mean not only accessing information, but also obtaining that information at the lowest environmental cost. At this point, unfortunately, kindness trumps efficiency.”
Users are advised to avoid unnecessary introductory and concluding sentences and to use clear and direct expressions when using artificial intelligence tools.
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