Kuaishou Technology’s Keling AI is rapidly absorbing users from a market rattled by OpenAI’s decision to shutter its Sora video generator, with data showing a 4% weekly jump in active users. The move solidifies the Chinese firm’s lead in a niche but computationally expensive sector of the artificial intelligence industry that has seen surging demand from marketers and creative professionals.
The competitive field is shifting, as smaller players rush to fill the vacuum left by the once-hyped Sora. "OpenAI’s retreat from the video space opens the door for more focused rivals to capture users and revenue," a market analyst noted. Kuaishou executives told analysts they expect Keling AI's annual revenue to more than double this year, signaling strong confidence in their market position.
According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Keling’s weekly active users on mobile reached an average of 2.6 million last week. This growth builds on an already dominant position; in March, Keling’s 7.8 million monthly active users far outpaced Sora’s 4.7 million. Other rivals, including RunwayML and Vidu, also saw modest 1% gains in weekly users. OpenAI plans to shut the Sora website and app on April 26, with the developer platform being discontinued on September 24 to shift resources toward robotics research.
The episode underscores the punishing economics of AI video. Despite its viral launch, Sora has earned just $1.4 million in global net revenue since its debut, a fraction of the $1.9 billion generated by the ChatGPT app over the same period, according to Sensor Tower. For investors, Kuaishou’s gain is a direct challenge to other tech giants like Google and Meta, putting pressure on them to prove they can balance the high costs of video generation with a viable path to profitability.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
