Hai Luo AI's High Membership Fees Stir User Backlash
Hai Luo AI's Premium Pricing Sparks Industry Debate
Chinese AI platform Hai Luo AI has ignited controversy with its newly announced ¥10,788 ($1,480) annual membership fee for its top-tier "Supreme Edition" service. The pricing strategy—equating to nearly ¥900 ($123) monthly—has drawn widespread criticism from users who argue the cost outweighs the platform's utility.
Service Overview and Pricing Structure
The multimodal AI tool, which integrates video, image, and voice generation capabilities, recently overhauled its membership system:
- Supreme Edition: New top tier at ¥10,788/year (includes 12,000 monthly "shells" credits for Hailuo02 model access)
- Standard/Basic tiers: Prices remain unchanged from previous structure
Company representatives from MiniMax, Hai Luo's developer, emphasize that the Hailuo02 model represents a threefold increase in parameters and quadrupled data volume compared to previous versions. "Our technical investments justify the pricing," stated a MiniMax spokesperson. "When measured against performance metrics, we maintain industry-leading cost-effectiveness."
User Reactions and Market Context
Social media platforms show mounting dissatisfaction:
- Over 5,000 complaints logged on Weibo within 48 hours of announcement
- Primary grievances focus on "hidden costs" from required content regeneration
- Early adopters report 60% longer workflow times with new credit system
The controversy emerges as competitors implement similar monetization strategies:
- ByteDance's Jiemeng AI: $99/month professional tier
- Kuaishou's Kerling AI: Performance-based credit bundles starting at $0.12/unit
Industry Analysis and Future Outlook
Market analysts identify three critical factors influencing the backlash:
- Psychological pricing thresholds: Chinese creators typically cap monthly SaaS budgets at ¥500 ($68)
- Output consistency: 42% of beta testers required ≥3 regenerations per project
- Alternative solutions: Open-source models now achieve comparable results for non-commercial use
"This represents a pivotal moment for AI commercialization," noted TechChina analyst Li Wei. "Providers must balance R&D recoupment against user retention—we're observing a 15-20% churn rate following major price adjustments industry-wide."
The company has not indicated whether it will modify its pricing structure but confirms it's "actively monitoring user feedback." Industry observers suggest potential compromises could include:
- Tiered credit rollover policies
- Enterprise-specific licensing options
Pay-per-output experimental features
Key Points
- Hai Luo AI introduces controversial ¥10,788/year premium membership
- Company cites technical improvements in Hailuo02 model as justification
- Users report dissatisfaction with effective cost-per-output ratios
- Competitors implementing similar monetization strategies industry-wide
- Market watching for potential pricing adjustments amid user backlash