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Open Circuit

Who’s really paying AI’s power bill?

Apr 25, 2025
54:30

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Tech giants' confidential agreements with utilities are shifting infrastructure costs onto regular ratepayers, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
  • The independence of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is jeopardized by executive orders that could compromise its objectivity in energy market regulation.

Deep dives

The Cost of Politeness to AI Systems

Using polite language when interacting with AI systems, such as ChatGPT, has been shown to incur significant costs for tech companies in energy consumption. Reports indicate that politeness has led to tens of millions of dollars in computing power expenses, suggesting that courteous interactions require more processing resources. This raises concerns about maintaining kindness in communication, as some fear that if people become rude to AI, it may lead to a decline in politeness in human interactions too. Ultimately, this highlights a paradox of needing to balance technological advancements with the principles of human decency while navigating the emerging dynamics of AI engagement.

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