We’ve all heard the predictions—and seen the proof—that artificial intelligence will profoundly change the way we live, work and make money. But why wait for the future when you can start right now?
The rapid emergence of both free and paid generative AI tools is opening the doors to fresh business opportunities and new revenue streams. In fact, people are already using AI to boost their income in many creative ways.
Are you ready to cash in on the new digital gold rush? Let’s explore how to make money with AI, starting with these 11 unique ideas.
Harness the power of AI to help build your business website with Wix.
Why learn how to use AI to make money?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is so much more than just the current buzzword du jour. There are several key reasons why learning to leverage AI as a money-making strategy now can pay off in the long run:
The AI market is huge: The current global market for AI is expected to hit $42.6 billion by year’s end. And that’s just the start: consulting firm PwC forecasts that by 2030, AI will contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy.
AI is already a proven source of passive income: A survey by GOBankingRates shows that 10.6% of men and 5.5% of women are using AI right now to generate passive income streams. Another 52% of men and 40% of women say they’re interested in using AI to do so in the future.
The jobs of today are transforming: Activities that take up about 30% of the hours worked across the U.S. economy right now could be automated by AI, says a McKinsey and Company report. That could cause about 12 million people to transition to new jobs by 2030. By learning how to make money with AI right now, you’ll be ahead of the curve.
How to make money with AI: 11 unique ideas
No matter what your background or skill set is, there are various ways that you can use AI to boost your bottom line. Let’s look at 11 ideas to get the wheels turning.
01. Build websites
One of the first hurdles that new business owners face is learning how to make a website. You can provide an effective solution for them by outsourcing your talents as a website developer for companies of all sizes.
AI is already making it faster and easier to create high-functioning and professional websites. And with web developers fetching more than $40 per hour, you can ramp up a freelance website-building business in no time. Best of all, you don’t need a lot of technical expertise. You can use AI tools to find the right website template for your clients, write their website content and even choose striking images.
Wix offers several AI tools to help edit and enhance a professional website. For example, the AI text editor can write and fine-tune all kinds of copy, from product descriptions to newsletter text and even an “About Us” page. There are also AI-driven image editing tools for background removal, auto enhancement, the ability to auto-generate video trailers and more.
02. Make and sell AI-generated artwork
Using AI to create your own artwork brings plenty of unique revenue-generating opportunities. You could, for example, start a freelance graphic design business and fetch around $30 an hour or more. Or you could make money by creating your own designs and selling them on your own website or on marketplace sites like Etsy.
It’s all possible with emerging AI-powered platforms like DALL-E and Midjourney that allow you to create professional-looking designs in just a matter of minutes. Companies like Canva have also added AI features to their time-tested solutions so users can make graphics for blog posts, social media posts and marketing campaigns.
Another money-making opportunity: use AI art generators to create a design, then partner with a print-on-demand services company. They can put your art on t-shirts, coffee mugs and other items that you can then sell through your own online store. Just be sure that your artwork is original or properly licensed before you begin selling.
03. Become a YouTube content creator
Looking for AI-enabled business ideas with maximum profit potential? Then you may want to become a content creator for YouTube. The average creator pulls down six figures annually according to ZipRecruiter.
Of course, the amount of revenue you generate from YouTube will be based in part on the number of views your videos receive and subscribers you attract. So, it’s smart to focus on a topic that’s popular on the platform, such as gaming, fitness or fashion.
Once you choose your niche, it’s time to start creating. That’s where AI comes in handy. You can use ChatGPT or an AI writing tool to create the perfect script. You can then use AI-enhanced editing software to speed up the video production process. What’s more, you can ask AI models for tips on how to monetize your content so you can maximize your profit potential.
04. Produce courses online
The e-learning market is expected to reach $375 billion by 2026. That’s one reason why creating online courses is one of the most profitable online business ideas out there.
People are clamoring for information about personal development, entrepreneurship, personal finance and other topics. By producing your own online courses, you can offer your unique expertise and potentially earn about $42 per hour, on average.
You can use AI to enhance many steps in the course creation process. Free AI tools can help you perform in-depth topic research, brainstorm inventive ideas and organize your lesson plans. You can also ask AI engines to suggest a specific audience for your classes. AI-powered text-to-speech tools can even help you record your lessons, which you can then offer on your Wix website or on a platform like Udemy.
05. Enter affiliate marketing
What’s one of the best side business ideas that’s been revolutionized by AI? Affiliate marketing. When you launch your own affiliate marketing website, you can earn commissions by promoting other people’s products or services.
There are many profitable segments of affiliate marketing. Do you understand tech? You could launch an affiliate marketing blog promoting new AI solutions. Love the outdoors? You could start a kayaking blog and promote products, tours and other related services.
Success with affiliate marketing means understanding how to get people to your website. That’s where AI can help. You can use AI to generate content ideas and find relevant keywords to boost your search engine ranking. AI tools can also help you find the best place to put affiliate links on each web page so you can increase your conversion rates. Salaries in affiliate marketing vary greatly, with a national average of about $35 per hour.
06. Create written content
Type “how to use AI to make money” into Google and it’s a safe bet that copywriting will come up as a top option. That’s because artificial intelligence has revolutionized the entire writing process, from generating fresh ideas all the way through to creating a finished draft.
Freelance writers make nearly $30 an hour on average. Additionally, the need for quality writers keeps growing. Businesses regularly hire outside help to write blog posts, landing page copy, case studies and many other marketing materials.
Where to begin? You can use free tools like ChatGPT to outline your notes and brainstorm fresh ideas. Then you can up your game with paid AI content generators like Jasper.ai and Writesonic that can write the content for you. If you don’t like their output, you can ask the software to generate a new response and see if it’s closer to the mark. Many AI writing tools also offer ready-made templates for different content formats (such as writing emails or social media posts).
One word of caution: when using AI writing tools, remember that a human should always review the output to ensure accuracy and originality.
07. Use your language skills
If you’re wondering how AI is transforming business, look no further than translation services. Documents that used to take humans hours to translate can now be done in minutes with many AI tools.
So, if you have an ear for foreign languages and access to AI software, you can launch your own translation services business. You could translate marketing materials for multinational companies and help them ensure that they’re sending the right message to their customers. Or you could create foreign-language video voiceovers so YouTube content creators can reach new audiences. You could also help businesses launch localized websites that are written in their customers’ languages of choice.
Whether you use AI to start a full-time translator business or a side hustle, expect to make more than $25 per hour.
08. Create your own AI products
If you know coding, then you can use your skills to create the next generation of AI-powered products. Computer programmers are always in high demand, and freelance coders often fetch more than $40 per hour.
Coders can tap into publicly available APIs to create mobile apps, develop a new Google Chrome extension or build more powerful algorithms. They can also create custom AI-powered chatbots that can help small businesses deliver non-stop, high-quality customer service.
What’s more, freelance coders can use free tools like ChatGPT to work smarter. You can ask it to suggest snippets of code, review your original code or generate documentation for you.
Soon, OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, will make it possible for people to develop and even monetize their own custom versions of GPTs by selling them in a “GPT Store.”
09. Explore digital marketing and sales
Perhaps no industry has benefited more from AI in the past 18 months than marketing and sales. AI tools can assist with everything from building email lists to creating effective content strategies.
So, if you want to start a business in digital marketing or sales consulting, AI is ready to give you a boost. You can use AI-powered social media platforms to manage Instagram, TikTok and X accounts for multiple businesses. Plus, AI-fueled analytics within these platforms can give you insight into a company’s paid and organic social campaigns. You can share that data with your clients so they can enhance their social media strategies.
Is sales a better fit for you? Then you can help companies by showing them how to research prospects, attract better leads and analyze sales data with AI. Expect to earn around $30 per hour as a digital marketer or sales consultant.
10. Be a prompt engineer
Every successful interaction with AI tools like ChatGPT has this in common: a well-written prompt. That’s why carving out your niche as a prompt engineer is one of the most unique business ideas you can start today.
Prompt engineers focus on writing prompts that will get the best possible response for end users of AI tools. These engineers are typically experts in the way chatbots “think.” You’ll analyze the output of AI algorithms, develop objective ways to evaluate those outputs and work with developers to refine the large language models (LLMs) that power AI solutions.
While this is an emerging field, one report says prompt engineers are already asking for (and receiving) up to $40 per hour on popular freelance boards.
11. Start a resume business
One of the first AI use cases to emerge last year was using ChatGPT to write cover letters and resumes. So, it’s only natural that starting your own resume business is a smart way to make money online with AI.
A good first step is to connect with job seekers on platforms like LinkedIn. Then you can use AI to create a variety of value-added services. For example, you could use ChatGPT or AI writing assistants to tailor your clients’ resumes for specific industries or employer types. Or, you could use AI to develop questions that your clients can use on job interviews. Resume writers can attract close to $20 per hour, which makes it a great side hustle.