AI Appreciation in UAE: More Than Half of Residents are Courteous Towards Artificial Intelligence
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been revealed as the global leader in politeness towards artificial intelligence (AI), according to a survey conducted by YouGov. The survey, which included over 12,000 AI users from 17 countries, found that 55.5% of UAE residents regularly use polite expressions like "please" or "thank you" when interacting with AI.
The survey results indicate that the UAE has the highest percentage of respondents who use polite expressions with AI among the 17 countries surveyed. Mexico and India follow closely behind, with 54.1% and 50.2% of respondents, respectively, regularly using polite language with AI.
In contrast, Denmark (31.1%), Sweden (33.2%), and the United States (32.3%) are the countries with the lowest percentages of politeness towards AI.
Globally, about 43% of AI users regularly use polite expressions during AI interactions, with about 18% always doing so and 17% never doing so. The gender gap is also noted, with women in the UAE showing slightly higher politeness to AI than men (58.9% vs. 54.1%).
The survey results suggest that the use of polite expressions with AI is more common in developed nations. Minister Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications in the UAE Government, stated that AI usage in the UAE is nearly 100%.
The minister highlighted that the country's achievements in technological advancement and AI adoption are the result of 25 years of transformation led by the UAE government. He encouraged everyone to start using AI tools to improve themselves.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remarked in April 2025 that he wonders how much money OpenAI has lost in electricity costs due to people saying "please" and "thank you" to its models.
The survey by YouGov also included countries like Italy, Australia, the UK, Spain, Canada, France, Poland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, and the US, where the percentage of people using polite expressions with AI is less than the UAE. Indonesia (47.9%), Italy (47.4%), Australia (45.8%), the UK (45.4%), Spain (43.0%), Canada (41.8%), France (41.6%), Poland (41.1%), Hong Kong (40.4%), Singapore (36.3%), Germany (34.4%), and the US (32.3%) also have a significant percentage of people using polite expressions with AI.
Mexico and India are the only other countries, besides the UAE, where more than half of the respondents use polite expressions with AI.
The survey results offer insights into the etiquette of human-AI interactions and highlight substantial cultural differences in how politeness is extended to AI. Middle Eastern and some Latin Asian countries show higher etiquette levels, whereas many Western and Scandinavian countries show lower levels of politeness in this context.
- Despite Denmark, Sweden, and the United States having comparatively lower percentages of politeness towards AI, the global average for AI users who regularly use polite expressions during AI interactions stands at about 43%.
- Interestingly, the survey by YouGov reveals that, apart from Mexico and India, the UAE is the only other country where more than half of the respondents use polite expressions with AI.
- In response to the survey results, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in April 2025, mused about the potential electricity costs his company might have incurred from people saying "please" and "thank you" to its models.
