How to Talk to Chatbots: Should We Be Polite?

New research examines whether politeness affects the accuracy of chatbot responses. While some studies show that polite wording improves answers, others suggest there is no significant difference.

Politeness and Chatbots: Researchers found that 'positive thinking' did not improve the accuracy of chatbots. However, the way questions are phrased may matter.

Jules White, a professor of computer science, emphasizes that the essence is the clear expression of the idea, not the choice of specific words.

Is Politeness Necessary? Sam Altman of OpenAI joked about the money spent on electricity due to 'please' and 'thank you'. A 2024 study showed that chatbots give better answers when questions are polite, but cultural differences were observed.

Tips for Effective Communication with Chatbots:

• Ask for Multiple Options: Request multiple answers to have more choices.
• Provide Examples: Provide samples to guide the style.
• Interview: Use an interactive approach to gather information.
• Caution with Role-Playing: Use it for creative tasks, but not for accuracy.
• Stay Neutral: Avoid influencing the answer.

A 2025 survey showed that 70% of people are polite to Artificial Intelligence, mainly because they believe it is the right thing to do.

Source: ERTnews.gr