ByteDance Doubao AI Chatbot Faces User Reluctance with New Subscription Plans

ByteDance's AI chatbot Doubao is rolling out paid subscription plans in China, but early feedback suggests significant user resistance. In a survey conducted by the South China Morning Post, 10 out of 12 active AI users in mainland China said they would not pay for the service, citing high prices and lackluster performance on professional tasks. Chloe Wang, a 26-year-old fund employee in Shenzhen, said she “definitely wouldn’t” subscribe at the proposed price, adding that she would rather pay for OpenAI's ChatGPT if she needed a productivity tool. ByteDance is under pressure to monetize the chatbot after significant investments in AI infrastructure and soaring computing costs.

The reluctant users mainly pointed to two issues: pricing that feels out of step with perceived value, and weak reliability for work-related queries. Marketing professional Zhang Zonggai was one of only two respondents open to paying, but he emphasized it would depend on whether the premium features justify the cost compared to specialized AI tools. Doubao is used for search, translation, photo editing, and even grading homework, but its overall capability for demanding professional tasks was described as “rather ordinary.” ByteDance's move is seen as a litmus test for the viability of subscription-based AI chatbots in China, a market already crowded with free and low-cost alternatives.