OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has highlighted the environmental and financial costs associated with seemingly minor additions to AI chatbot prompts, such as including polite phrases like "please" and "thank you." He explained that each extra word in a prompt increases the amount of data processed, engages more servers, and consequently leads to higher electricity consumption. Altman emphasized that these small additions cumulatively result in tens of millions of dollars in electricity expenses and a greater environmental impact. This insight underscores the broader sustainability challenges linked to the widespread use of AI technologies.