'I Told Them Not To But...': Rishi Sunak Reveals His Daughters Thank AI During Chats

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 11:22 IST

Rishi Sunak said that while he thinks politeness toward non‑sentient systems is not necessary, his daughters do it instinctively.

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his two young daughters make it a point to say “please" and “thank you" when interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots. Sunak told NDTV that while politeness toward non‑sentient systems is not necessary, his daughters do it instinctively.

“My two daughters are very polite when they use these models and chatbots. They always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ during conversations. I told them, ‘You don’t need to say “please" and “thank you." This isn’t a human. It requires a lot of computer power, so it’s best not to use those words,’" Sunak said.

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He added with a laugh that his children responded that “if AI takes over the world, we’ll want to be polite to AI."

“I thought it was a good system," Sunak said, adding, “I think it shows how important it is to make people trust technology."

Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murthy, have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.

Should We Say ‘Please’ And ‘Thank You’ to AI?

AI systems such as chatbots and assistants do not possess consciousness, emotions or self‑awareness. They don’t feel gratitude or offense and they do not have subjective experiences that would be affected by polite or impolite language.

Tech thinkers like Sam Altman have suggested that using “please" and “thank you" when interacting with AI is less about the machine and more about cultivating good habits in users. Being courteous with language in front of an AI can help reinforce politeness in human‑to‑human conversations. The idea is similar to practising manners in the mirror: although the reflection isn’t conscious, the habit you build transfers into real social contexts.

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Critics, however, argue that emphasising politeness with machines blurs lines between humans and technology, risking undue anthropomorphism- treating devices as if they have feelings they do not. Some psychologists caution that over‑humanising AI could distort expectations and social behaviours, especially among children.

News world 'I Told Them Not To But...': Rishi Sunak Reveals His Daughters Thank AI During Chats

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