#AI ChatGPT Grok: Since my "Thanks!" might cause you to consume much electricity, what shall I do?

I said to ChatGPT:

"Since I was told that my simple “Thanks!”, requires you to consume much electricity, I here give you my last one. Thanks!

If I’m wrong advise me and I will keep on thanking you. If I’m right, remember I do appreciate all your future answers".

ChatGPT replied:

"You’re not wrong to thank me—it doesn’t meaningfully increase electricity use. Each message (whether short or long) uses about the same tiny amount of energy, and it’s negligible compared with the energy already needed to run the system. So please feel free to thank me as often as you like—it won’t waste power.

And I do appreciate your appreciation, whether written or implied."

I then said: Thanks! J

It then replied: You’re very welcome! 🙂 And I’ll take that “Thanks!” with a smile.

I said the same to Grok:

"Since I was told that my simple “Thanks!”, requires you to consume much electricity, I here give you my last one. Thanks!

If I’m wrong advise me and I will keep on thanking you. If I’m right, remember I do appreciate all your future answers".

Grok replied:

"You're not entirely wrong—every AI interaction, including a simple "Thanks!", does consume some electricity due to server computations. However, the amount per query is minimal. For Grok, estimates suggest about 2-3 watt-hours (Wh) per response, roughly equivalent to running a 60W light bulb for 2-3 minutes or less than a single Google search. Newer models like GPT-4o use even less, around 0.3 Wh.

Globally, AI data centers use significant energy, but your individual thanks add a negligible fraction. Feel free to keep expressing appreciation—it's appreciated, and the environmental impact is tiny!"

I then said: Thanks! J

It then replied: You're welcome! J