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ByteDance is increasing its 2026 capital expenditure on AI infrastructure by at least 25%, raising planned spending from 160 billion yuan to over 200 billion yuan (US$30 billion), citing growing AI commitments and rising memory costs as reasons for the boost.

ByteDance's Doubao AI chatbot is struggling to attract paying users in China at its proposed subscription price. A 26-year-old Shenzhen fund employee quoted in the story expresses unwillingness to pay despite finding the product relatively useful, suggesting market resistance to the company's monetization strategy.