Scam claims and backlash hit Kazakhstan’s AI unicorn Higgsfield

Higgsfield AI, widely recognized as Kazakhstan’s first unicorn startup after surpassing a $1 billion valuation, has become one of the country’s most visible AI companies operating internationally. The startup recently drew national attention when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met on January 28, 2026, with Higgsfield AI technical director Yerzat Dulat and MA7 Ventures founder Murat Abdrakhmanov.

In recent weeks, however, the company has faced strong criticism on social media platforms including X, Threads, and Reddit, where users and creators questioned aspects of its marketing strategy, collaboration programs, and subscription model. Company executives have acknowledged operational mistakes while disputing some of the allegations.

One issue involved promotional materials distributed ahead of the launch of Vibe Motion, a tool designed to convert text prompts into animated video content. Some creators said the videos included in the media package did not appear to be AI-generated. Company representatives later said the materials were created internally for brainstorming purposes and were mistakenly shared externally due to internal process failures.

A separate discussion centered on Higgsfield Earn, a program aimed at rewarding creators for publishing content produced with the platform. Some participants reported delayed payments, missing submissions, or account suspensions. As an example, a Reddit user described being approached for a paid YouTube collaboration but later denied payment after publishing a video. According to the post, the creator was told the channel showed “suspicious activity,” while the user said traffic metrics were normal and largely generated by subscribers. The post gained attention and became one of several complaints cited in online discussions about the platform’s payout process.

Company representatives said the program faced fraudulent activity, including attempts to submit content created outside the platform or artificially inflate engagement metrics, and that compliance checks could result in rejected payments. CEO Alex Mashrabov said more than $800,000 had been distributed to over 10,000 creators within three weeks and stated that supporting the creator community remains a core priority.

Subscription plans also became part of the debate after some users said generation speeds slowed significantly despite purchasing unlimited access during promotional campaigns. The company attributed these issues to high infrastructure demand and bot activity during peak periods, adding that refunds were issued to affected users and large numbers of suspicious accounts were blocked.

Co-founder Yerzat Dulat said criticism intensified after Higgsfield AI secured temporary exclusive access to the Kling 3.0 video generation model. He argued that negative discussion was amplified by competitors and cited figures linked to companies such as Runway, Freepik, Krea, and creators associated with Midjourney. Dulat described the situation as a coordinated online campaign, though these claims have not been independently verified. He also acknowledged that some earlier marketing approaches may have been too aggressive for certain audiences and said the company is reviewing its communication strategy.

Marketing content became another point of controversy after reports that some creators received provocative promotional videos featuring fictional characters and deepfakes of public figures. Company representatives said such material did not reflect the company’s values and described its circulation as a mistake.

In a public statement on X, Mashrabov said rapid scaling had created gaps between the company’s values and its internal processes, adding that the team is working to strengthen operations and communication. He also confirmed that Higgsfield AI’s main account on X was temporarily suspended and said the company is seeking to restore it through platform procedures.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the digital ecosystem centered around Astana Hub remains the key element of the development of Kazakhstan’s economy.