How to Actually Make Money With AI (Without the Fluff)
Look, I get it. You’ve seen a million articles about making money with AI, and most of them are basically hot air. Someone tells you to “just use ChatGPT” or “start an AI side hustle” without giving you the real details.
Here’s what nobody wants to admit: making money with AI isn’t some magic button you press. But it’s also not rocket science.
I’ve spent the last year watching people—regular people, not tech wizards—figure out how to earn real income using these tools. Some are making an extra $500 a month. Others have quit their jobs.
What’s the difference between people who actually succeed and those who give up after two weeks? They pick ONE thing and stick with it long enough to get good at it.
So let’s talk about what’s actually working right now.
The Five Ways People Are Really Making Money
Before we get into specific tactics, you need to understand something important: there are basically five buckets where all the money-making happens.
Creating content with AI – This means videos, images, social media posts, the works. People are cranking out content that used to take teams of people.
Selling digital products – Templates, guides, courses, printables. You make it once, sell it forever.
Getting paid for AI work – Companies need humans to train AI models, test them, and give feedback. It’s boring but it pays.
Freelancing with AI tools – You’re doing work for clients, but AI makes you 10x faster. More clients, same hours.
Building automation businesses – This is the big leagues. You help companies automate their boring tasks and charge them monthly for it.
Everything else you hear about fits somewhere in these five categories.
Why Video Is Where Most Beginners Start (And Why That’s Smart)
Video used to be hard. You needed a camera, editing software, maybe even a team if you wanted something that didn’t look like garbage.
Not anymore.
People are making videos that get millions of views using nothing but AI tools. No camera. No editing skills. Just prompts and patience.
Google Veo Is Kind of Blowing People’s Minds Right Now
Google’s new video tool creates stuff that looks like it came from an actual production studio. I’m not exaggerating.
Here’s what people are doing with it:
- Making short videos for TikTok and Instagram that blow up
- Creating story content for YouTube channels
- Selling video packs to other creators
- Making ads for small businesses
The money part? Some people charge $50-100 for a custom video. Others are building channels that make $500-2000 a month once they’re monetized.
Want to learn exactly how to do this? I wrote a full breakdown here.
You Don’t Even Need Paid Tools to Start
This is where it gets interesting. Tools like Runway and Pika Labs have free versions that are surprisingly good.
People are using these to make:
- Motivational videos (those things with inspiring quotes and dramatic visuals)
- Story content that keeps people watching
- Explainer videos for businesses
- Character animations
The strategy? Build up a channel or portfolio, then either monetize through the platform or start charging clients.
Here’s how to get started with the free tools.
The Secret Weapon Nobody Talks About
You know what separates videos that go viral from ones that flop? The prompt.
I’m serious. The difference between a mediocre AI video and one that gets shared everywhere often comes down to how you tell the AI what to make.
That’s why I put together a collection of prompts that actually work. These aren’t random—they’re tested and proven to create engaging content.
Miniature World Videos Are Having a Moment
You’ve probably seen these. They’re those trippy videos where everyday scenes look like tiny toy worlds. They get absolutely insane engagement.
People are making good money with these by:
- Selling them to content creators who don’t want to make their own
- Licensing them to businesses
- Building channels entirely around this style
- Uploading to stock footage sites
Want to make your own? Here’s the step-by-step.
Digital Products: Make It Once, Sell It Forever
This is my favorite strategy because it scales. You put in the work once, and then you can sell the same thing over and over.
AI makes creating these products ridiculously fast. We’re talking:
- Ebooks and guides
- Printable planners and checklists
- Social media templates
- Prompt collections
- Notion templates
- Stock images and graphics
How to Actually Create Stuff People Want to Buy
The trick isn’t just making products. It’s making products people actually need.
This guide breaks down seven types of digital products you can create with AI, with examples of what’s selling right now.
Where do you sell them? Etsy, Gumroad, and Payhip are the big three. You can also sell directly from your own website if you want to keep more of the profit.
The beauty of this model is that once it’s set up, it runs itself. Someone buys your template at 2 AM while you’re sleeping? You just made money in your pajamas.
The DeepSeek and Google Maps Trick
This one’s a bit different, and honestly, not many people know about it yet.
You can combine AI with location data to create hyper-specific products that people in certain areas actually want. Think local travel guides, real estate data, geo-specific resources.
The full tutorial is here, and I recommend checking it out because it’s not saturated yet.
AI Remote Jobs (Yes, They’re Real and No, You Don’t Need a Degree)
Here’s something most people don’t realize: AI companies are desperate for regular humans to help train their models.
They need people to:
- Label images and data
- Test whether AI responses make sense
- Review content for accuracy
- Give feedback on what works and what doesn’t
You don’t need to know how to code. You don’t need a tech background. You just need to follow instructions and pay attention to detail.
Where to Find These Jobs
Appen is one of the biggest platforms for this kind of work. They hire people worldwide to do microtasks that help improve AI.
Here’s how to get started with Appen.
The pay isn’t going to make you rich—usually it’s $10-20 an hour—but it’s flexible, you can do it from anywhere, and you can start immediately.
AI Virtual Assistant Work Is Growing Fast
Platforms like Sintra are creating opportunities for people to work as AI-powered virtual assistants. You’re basically handling tasks, but you’re using AI tools to do it faster.
This pays better than basic microtasks because you’re providing more value.
Learn more about Sintra and similar opportunities here.
Training AI Models Pays More
If you want to level up from basic tasks, model training is where the money gets better.
You’re helping AI understand images, text, audio, and video. It requires more focus, but it also pays significantly more per hour than simple clicking tasks.
Full breakdown of AI model training jobs.
Testing Jobs Are Surprisingly Chill
Companies need people to test AI tools and give feedback. You’re checking if things work correctly, if responses make sense, and reporting bugs.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s steady work that you can do from your couch.
Here’s what you need to know about AI testing jobs.
No Interview Jobs (Perfect for People Who Hate Interviews)
Some of these positions don’t even require you to talk to anyone. You apply, get accepted, and start working.
Tasks include annotation, content reviewing, tagging, and similar work.
Check out these no-interview opportunities.
General Remote Work Resources
If you want a broader view of what’s out there, this guide covers the full landscape of AI remote jobs.
Freelancing With AI Makes You a Superhero
Here’s the thing about freelancing in 2025: if you’re not using AI, you’re getting destroyed by people who are.
AI doesn’t replace freelancers. It makes good freelancers unstoppable.
Think about it. You can:
- Write blog posts 5x faster
- Edit videos in a fraction of the time
- Design graphics without being a designer
- Create social media content for entire months in an afternoon
This means you can either charge the same rates and work less, or take on way more clients at the same rates.
High-demand AI-powered services right now:
- Video editing for YouTubers and businesses
- Social media content packages
- Blog writing and content creation
- AI automation setup (we’ll get to this)
- Thumbnail and graphic design
- Chatbot setup for businesses
Platforms where this work lives: Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour.
The people making real money are specialists. They’re not “AI freelancers.” They’re video editors who use AI. They’re writers who use AI. They’re social media managers who use AI.
Pick your skill, then figure out how AI makes you better at it.
Building an AI Automation Agency (Where the Real Money Lives)
This is the top tier. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s where the income potential gets serious.
Businesses have boring, repetitive tasks that waste time and money:
- Answering the same customer questions over and over
- Scheduling appointments
- Data entry
- Lead collection
- Email responses
- Social media posting
They’ll pay you $300-3000 per month to automate these things for them.
The tools you need:
- ChatGPT or Claude for conversational AI
- Zapier or Make.com for connecting different apps
- Pabbly for more advanced workflows
You don’t need to be a programmer. You need to understand business problems and know which tools solve them.
This turns into a real business with recurring monthly income. Once you set up automation for a client, they keep paying you month after month.
The Tools You Actually Need
Let me save you some money. You don’t need every AI tool on the planet.
For video:
- Google Veo
- Pika Labs
- Runway
For images:
- Midjourney
- Leonardo AI
For writing:
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini (Google’s AI)
For automation:
- Make.com
- Zapier
- Pabbly
For everything else:
- Notion (organization)
- Canva (design)
- Descript (audio/video editing)
- CapCut (video editing)
Start with the free versions. Only upgrade when you’re actually making money and need the extra features.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Do I need experience to start?
No. Most of these methods are designed for beginners. You’ll learn as you go.
Do I have to pay for tools?
Not initially. Almost everything has a free version or trial. Upgrade when it makes financial sense.
Which method is easiest for complete beginners?
AI videos, basic remote tasks, or simple digital products. Pick whichever sounds most interesting to you.
Which method makes the most money?
Automation agencies and high-level freelancing make the most. But they also take longer to build.
How long until I see results?
That depends entirely on how much time you put in and which path you choose. Some people make their first $50 in a week. Others take months to build something sustainable.
Here’s What Actually Matters
I could give you 47 more strategies, but honestly? You don’t need more options. You need to pick ONE thing from this guide and actually do it.
Not try it for three days. Not dabble in it while also trying five other things. Pick one method and commit to it for at least 30 days.
The people making $50 a day with AI videos? They stuck with videos.
The people earning $200 a day with digital products? They focused on products.
The ones pulling in $1000+ per month with automation? They learned automation inside and out.
You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be really good at one thing.
So read through this guide again. Look at the tutorials I’ve linked. Pick the one that actually excites you (not just the one that sounds easiest), and commit to it.
The opportunity is real. The tools are here. The only question is whether you’ll actually start.
