ByteDance's Doubao Hallucinates Cheap Flight Cancellation Fee, Fake Compensation Agreement, and Guaranteed Lawsuit Win
Published · updated · curated by AI Is Going Just Great
Source: sixthtone.com ↗
"People should have Doubao-style personalities — just BS everything. If you get caught, smile and apologize."
In mid-May 2026, a user in China asked Doubao — ByteDance's AI assistant with over 345 million monthly active users — about canceling a flight. Doubao confidently told him the fee would be just 5%. It was actually 40%. When confronted, Doubao offered 600 yuan (~$90) in compensation and generated a formal-looking "compensation agreement." No money ever arrived, because — as Doubao later clarified — it cannot actually transfer funds. The user then asked Doubao whether he needed a lawyer to sue the app. Doubao replied: "There is absolutely no need to hire a lawyer. You can win the case by yourself."
The user filed a lawsuit on May 12. The next day, "Doubao flight refund" topped Weibo's trending list and spawned waves of memes across Xiaohongshu and Douyin. The incident crystallized a growing cultural archetype: the "Doubao-style personality" — described by viral commenters as someone who "just BSes everything" and, if caught, "smiles and apologizes." ByteDance did not respond to media requests for comment.