Artificial intelligence has become an essential tool in many industries. Generative AI completes repetitive tasks like answering customer questions, while the latest AI tools perform complex processes like creating product schematics and writing software. These advancements make AI a great opportunity for making money online.
The best part: You don’t need access to expensive AI technology to generate income. You can launch an AI-powered business and make money online with a commercially available application like Google Gemini or ChatGPT.
Here’s an overview of AI business ideas and artificial intelligence tools, and tips on how to make money using AI.
What is AI?
Before diving into money-making opportunities, let’s clarify what we mean by AI. Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Like the human brain, an AI tool typically can learn from experience (also known as its “training”), adapt to changes, and improve over time.
Today’s AI landscape includes:
- Generative AI: Systems that create new content based on patterns learned from existing data. This includes text generators like ChatGPT, image creators like DALL-E, and code generators like GitHub Copilot.
- Machine learning (ML): Algorithms that enable computers to learn from data analysis to make decisions or predictions. AI-generated art and writing tools use different types of machine learning algorithms to create content based on patterns detected in human output.
- Deep learning: A subset of machine learning involving neural networks with multiple layers (deep neural networks). These networks help machines improve image and speech recognition.
How to make money using AI: 18 ideas
- AI ecommerce
- AI software development
- AI data analytics
- AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants
- AI written content
- AI graphic design
- AI website creation
- AI video editing
- AI digital marketing
- AI affiliate marketing
- AI translation services
- AI-powered predictive analytics in finance
- AI-based training programs
- AI hiring and recruitment
- AI cybersecurity
- AI inventory management
- AI agricultural management
- AI in supply chain optimization
The speed at which artificial intelligence has developed has allowed it to permeate countless industries, from writing to data analytics. Market trends have produced a surge in AI applications throughout the economy, making it easier than ever to find ways to make money using AI. In fact, Statista predicts that the AI market size will reach $826 billion by 2030.
Here are a few ideas to explore if you’re looking to monetize AI.
1. AI ecommerce
AI is revolutionizing online selling, making it easier than ever to launch and scale an ecommerce business. Gone are the days when you needed technical expertise or a big budget to create a professional online store. Today’s AI-powered ecommerce platforms handle everything from store design to product descriptions, letting you focus on what matters: building a brand that connects with customers.
Some entrepreneurs are making thousands of dollars monthly by combining AI with smart product selection and targeted marketing. According to SellersCommerce, AI is expected to add $8.65 billion to the ecommerce industry in 2025, meaning more opportunities for savvy business owners. The key is using AI to handle the heavy lifting while you bring your unique vision and customer knowledge to the table.
For example, you can use Shopify’s AI store builder to create a free store design in minutes. Enter a quick description of your business or products to generate custom themes with a unique look tailored for your industry. Try any theme and customize them further to suit your needs.
2. AI software development
AI tools can write the code that powers many types of software applications. This saves time and human power, cutting out the tedious task of drafting lines of code. You could work as a freelance coder and software developer, using AI coding tools to create programs for clients.
The software you create with AI can also incorporate AI models. For instance, you could use AI to create automated bookkeeping software that uses machine learning algorithms to process ledger entries and generate financial reports.
3. AI data analytics
Embracing AI data analytics services includes the use of deep learning, natural language processing (NLP,) and sometimes computer vision (depending on the nature of the data and the insights sought). You can leverage AI technologies to gain insights, optimize processes, produce data visualization, and create new industry opportunities.
Many businesses pay for actionable information that can drive decision-making. Some of the leading AI data analytics products include RapidMiner, DataRobot, and Domino.
Recommended reading: Top AI Statistics and Artificial Intelligence Trends
4. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants
There is ample market demand for customer service AI chatbots. Unlike human representatives, powerful AI chatbots can generate thousands of replies per minute, letting you serve customers online with great efficiency.
Create and provide AI chatbots or virtual assistants to businesses looking to enhance their customer service operations. You can make money with AI by personalizing your chatbots to automate responses and improve customer satisfaction on clients’ websites or platforms.
5. AI written content
Thanks to NLP, AI writing tools can specialize in content creation that mimics human syntax with impressive precision. For example, freelance writers can use AI writing tools to generate ideas and write faster than they could unassisted. With AI-powered content generation, it streamlines the creative process, which opens up their bandwidth to offer writing services to more freelance clients, leading to higher pay without much additional effort.
In today’s business landscape, where AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, contribute to content creation, the role of an editor becomes crucial to ensure content quality, coherence, and alignment with brand values. That means, even if you don’t use AI applications for content creation, you could make money with AI by becoming an editor of AI content—offering a human touch to the high-volume output of AI tools.
6. AI graphic design
Many AI-powered tools can produce AI-generated art for a variety of purposes. For example, you can use AI image generators for digital artwork like corporate logos, web design, t-shirt graphics, and more. Use a powerful tool like Midjourney or DALL-E to speed up the process of creating digital art for your clients. Once they sign off on a concept, you can use your editing skills to customize and perfect the AI-generated artwork.
Typically, you only need to prompt the AI art generator with a text description of your design idea, and the tool can create images based on your words. You can also use an AI-assisted design tool like Adobe Sensei or Canva to develop your visual concepts.
7. AI website creation
AI tools can design and build websites with remarkable speed. Utilizing AI tools, you can create a custom website that aligns with your objectives, like an ecommerce site or photography portfolio. This might mean building sites for clients or designing your own website to represent your business.
8. AI video editing
AI tools can now cut and edit videos based on a series of written inputs. AI video editing software like PictoryAI and Animoto works on everything from low-budget YouTube videos to professional films, TV shows, and commercials.
If you have foundational skills in video editing, incorporating AI tools can enhance your efficiency, helping you expedite the editing process. This increase in productivity can help you accommodate more clients. While a human editor’s oversight remains valuable, machine learning advancements have enabled software to generate AI video content with reduced need for manual intervention.
9. AI digital marketing
There are AI tools to handle nearly every aspect of digital marketing and even help you manage social media brands. You can integrate AI solutions that aid in content creation, schedule paid advertising content (through a combination of data analysis, predictive analytics, and automation), write blog posts, optimize sites for search engines, draft sponsored social media posts, and help with conversion rate optimization.
Many AI-powered marketing campaigns start with a set of human-crafted digital marketing materials. From there, AI tools can create and disseminate more content to help promote your clients or sell products and services thanks to AI content creation.
Recommended reading: How To Use AI for Sales, Plus 8 Effective AI Sales Tools
10. AI affiliate marketing
Make money with AI tools by getting into the affiliate marketing game. As an AI-powered affiliate marketer, you can generate income by promoting other companies’ products or services and earning commission. AI tools can help you set up an affiliate marketing website in part by observing search trends to figure out what products are worth featuring. Once it’s up and running, an affiliate marketing website can be a great side hustle, bringing in passive income while you focus on other projects.
Recommended reading: AI Affiliate Marketing: How To Earn with Artificial Intelligence
11. AI translation services
Large language models (LLMs) have a deep understanding of many languages, making them useful as translation tools. If you’re multilingual, you can offer AI translation and localization services.
When you start an AI-assisted translation service, the AI translation tools produce a basic translation. Then you review the machine’s output, checking for accuracy and syntax before delivering to clients.
12. AI-powered predictive analytics in finance
Financial analysts now use AI for predictive modeling. This could involve building AI algorithms for stock market predictions, risk assessment, or fraud detection in financial transactions. Learn more about these data analysis applications by checking out the existing AI finance software in this space, including Kensho, H2O Driverless AI, and Palantir Foundry.
13. AI-based training programs
Using AI, you can create online courses, training programs, and workshops. Use AI to create an outline for a course and flesh it out with unique content, relying on your expertise to finesse the AI’s output and tailor it to your target audience. On a business-to-consumer (B2C) basis, these courses can cater to individuals looking to upskill; on a business-to-business (B2B) basis, they could serve businesses looking to educate employees about their industry or buyer personas.
14. AI hiring and recruitment
Develop custom AI solutions for automating the hiring process, including résumé screening, candidate matching, and interviews. This can save HR departments time and resources. Many of the nation’s leading job recruitment platforms already use AI-powered software to sort through applicants. Consider building specialized AI tools for niche businesses looking to hire rare skill sets.
15. AI cybersecurity
AI-powered cybersecurity solutions help businesses detect threats and anomalies and monitor for these in real time. With cyberattacks on the rise, businesses are willing to invest in advanced security measures.
If you enter this field, your target audience likely will be companies storing large troves of customer data. For example, you would work to protect sensitive financial data that would have significant consequences if compromised.
16. AI inventory management
Inventory management is a complex process that AI tools can simplify and be used for to help you save time. With AI-powered software, you can track the movement of products through a supply chain, predict stocking needs based on customer behavior, and update inventory records as products are sold and restocked.
As a digital entrepreneur, you can use an AI-powered all-in-one inventory management solution. Or, you can make more money by concentrating on a specific niche like warehousing or shipping logistics.
17. AI agricultural management
AI applications can now help with precision agriculture, crop monitoring, and yield prediction. These solutions can help farmers optimize their operations and improve crop yields. If you work in agriculture, you can join the farmers, seed producers, and resource managers who already make money with AI tools while improving food production.
18. AI in supply chain optimization
According to a 2024 McKinsey & Company survey, 53% of respondents saw more than a 5% increase in revenue when leveraging AI tools for supply chain and inventory management. Use AI to perform tasks like optimizing inventory management systems, organizing routes and suppliers, performing quality control, predicting and managing risks, and forecasting demand.
AI tools comparison: finding the right fit for your business
With hundreds of AI tools available, choosing the right ones for your business is key. Here are some of the most popular AI applications, and their main use cases:
Content creation tools
| Tool | Best for | Price range | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Ecommerce | Free with Shopify | Store branding and design, product descriptions, marketing copy, SEO optimization |
| Jasper | Marketing content | $49–$125/month | Long-form content, brand voice customization |
| Copy.ai | Social media and ads | Free–$36/month | Short-form content, multiple languages |
Visual content tools
| Tool | Best for | Price range | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| DALL·E | Realistic images | $20/month | High-quality generation, editing capabilities |
| Midjourney | Artistic images | $10–$60/month | Stylized visuals, fine control over aesthetics |
Business automation tools
| Tool | Best for | Price range | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Workflow automation | Free–$100/month | More than 5,000 app integrations, no-code setup |
| Make | Complex automations | Free–$16/month | Visual workflow builder, conditional logic |
| n8n | Self-hosted automation | Free–$20/user/month | Privacy-focused, customizable |
Customer service tools
| Tool | Best for | Price range | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom | Live chat and AI | From $39/month | Chatbot builder, knowledge base integration |
| Ada | Enterprise support | Custom pricing | Advanced personalization, multilingual |
| Tidio | Small businesses | Free–$29/month | Easy setup, lead generation features |
When selecting AI tools, consider these factors:
- Integration capabilities: Does it work with your existing systems?
- Learning curve: How much time will you need to invest in mastering the tool?
- Customization options: Can you adapt the tool to your specific business needs?
- Data privacy: How does the tool handle your and your customers’ data?
- Scalability: Will it grow with your business?
Remember that the most expensive tool isn’t always the best fit. Start with a free trial when available, and focus on tools that solve your specific business challenges rather than those with the most features.
Tips for making money with AI tools
Now that you’re familiar with how to use AI across a variety of industries, here are a few quick tips to consider as you get started.
- Find pain points or inefficiencies. Research your niche and its broader industry to find use cases where AI services can add value and resolve customer pain points.
- Test it out. Depending on your business idea, use no-code platforms or AI-powered APIs to design a simple product prototype. If you use Shopify, test AI integrations by adding AI-powered Shopify Apps to your store.
- Ask for feedback and make continuous refinements. Especially as you’re just starting out, it’s important to ask for feedback and refine your products or services based on that constructive criticism.
Recommended reading: Best Artificial Intelligence Apps for a Range of Uses
Realistic earnings potential with AI
One of the most common questions about AI-powered businesses is: How much can I actually earn? While earnings will vary widely based on your skills, time investment, and business model, here’s a realistic breakdown.
AI employment
For specialized AI roles, Glassdoor’s salary data shows that AI/ML engineers earn an average of $170,768 per year in the United States, with a base salary of $125,436 plus additional compensation. Similarly, Machine learning engineers earn an average of $154,676 annually.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, AI data scientists earn a median annual wage of $112,590 as of May 2024. Employment in this field is projected to grow 36% from 2023 to 2033—much faster than average.
These figures represent full-time employment, but they provide a benchmark for what clients might expect to pay for specialized AI expertise.
AI freelancing
According to a 2024 Upwork report, data science and analytics is one of the fastest-growing work categories, with AI modeling and machine learning skills in particularly high demand.
The Robert Half 2025 Technology Salary Guide confirms AI and machine learning skills are among the most sought-after technical capabilities, with 38% of employers actively seeking these skills—creating significant opportunities for freelancers and consultants in this space.
AI-enhanced business models
Beyond freelancing, entrepreneurs are building scalable AI-powered businesses. The key factors that influence your earning potential include:
- Specialization: Niche expertise commands higher rates
- Results: Demonstrable return on investment (ROI) for clients justifies premium pricing
- Business model: Productized services and scalable solutions have higher earning ceilings than hourly work
Remember, building a successful AI business takes time. Many entrepreneurs start with side projects while maintaining other income sources, gradually scaling as they gain expertise and clients.
Getting started with AI: beginner roadmap
If you’re new to AI and excited about its potential, here’s a practical roadmap to help you get started without feeling overwhelmed:
1. Develop AI literacy (1 to 2 weeks)
Start by understanding AI fundamentals and capabilities. You don’t need to become a technical expert, but you should understand:
- Different types of AI and what they’re good at
- Common AI applications in business
- Basic terminology and concepts
Resources like DataCamp’s AI learning guide can help you build this foundation quickly.
2. Explore AI tools (2 to 4 weeks)
Begin experimenting with user-friendly AI tools that don’t require technical expertise, like:
- AI writing assistants for creating marketing materials
- AI image generators for visual content
- AI research tools for market analysis
Focus on understanding what these tools can and can’t do well, and how they might fit into your workflow or business model.
3. Identify your opportunity (2 to 4 weeks)
Based on your skills, interests, and market research, choose a specific direction:
- Apply AI to your existing business to improve efficiency or offerings
- Develop a new AI-enhanced service based on your expertise
- Create AI-powered products to solve specific problems
The best opportunities often lie at the intersection of your unique skills and emerging AI capabilities.
4. Build a minimum viable offering (4 to 8 weeks)
Start small with a focused offering that delivers clear value:
- Define exactly what you’ll provide and to whom
- Set up the necessary tools and workflows
- Create a simple website to showcase your offering
- Develop a basic marketing strategy to reach your first customers
5. Launch, learn, and iterate
The final step is to get your offering in front of real customers:
- Start with a small launch to gather feedback
- Measure results and identify improvement areas
- Continuously refine your offering based on customer input
- Gradually scale as you validate your approach
Remember that successful AI entrepreneurs rarely get everything right on the first try. The key is to start small, learn quickly, and adapt based on real-world feedback.
AI in business: case studies
While many articles promise easy money with AI, the reality is more nuanced. As discussions on entrepreneurship forums reveal, successful AI entrepreneurs don’t typically ask “how to make money” questions—they’re focused on building and scaling their products and services.
So what separates successful AI entrepreneurs from the dreamers? It’s not technical expertise, but strategic application and problem-solving. Research from Precedence Research shows that businesses finding success are applying AI to specific commerce challenges.
Successful approaches typically include:
- Domain expertise and AI efficiency: Combining industry knowledge with AI’s scaling capabilities
- Problem-first approach: Identifying specific market needs before determining how AI can help
- Value-added services: Packaging AI capabilities within broader service offerings
- Continuous learning: Staying current with AI developments while focusing on customer outcomes
How real businesses are using AI
Here’s how some real companies are leveraging AI to drive measurable results.
Sephora’s AI-powered personalization
Sephora, the global beauty retailer, has implemented an AI-driven personalization strategy that transformed its customer experience.
According to a case study by RedressCompliance, Sephora’s AI system analyzes customer data, including purchase history, browsing behavior, and quiz responses to generate tailored product recommendations.
The store also includes consumer AI features, such as:
- Virtual artist tool: Uses facial recognition to let customers virtually try on makeup
Sephora’s approach demonstrates how AI can enhance rather than replace the personal elements of shopping.
Wayfair’s AI-powered product tagging
Wayfair, the online home goods retailer, faced a significant challenge with its massive catalog of more than 40 million products. Manual tagging was slow and inconsistent, making it difficult for customers to find relevant items.
According to Snorkel AI’s customer story, Wayfair implemented a machine learning solution to automate and improve their product tagging process.
The results:
- 10-times faster product labeling compared to manual methods
- Significantly improved accuracy in automated product tagging
- Better search results for customers
The system works by analyzing product images and descriptions to automatically tag items with attributes like color, style, material, and function. This enables more precise search results and better product recommendations.
H&M’s AI inventory management
H&M, the global fashion retailer, was struggling with excess inventory and inefficient stock distribution across its stores worldwide. According to a case study by DigitalDefynd, H&M implemented an AI-driven demand forecasting system analyzing multiple data points, including:
- Historical sales data
- Social media trends
- Local events and weather patterns
- Economic indicators
The implementation helped H&M reduce excess inventory, decrease markdowns, and optimize its supply chain—getting the right products in the right stores at the right time.
These case studies highlight a crucial insight: successful AI implementation isn’t about replacing human decision-making but enhancing it with data-driven intelligence. The companies seeing the greatest ROI are those that use AI to solve specific business problems while maintaining their unique brand.
Common pitfalls to avoid when making money with AI
While AI offers exciting opportunities, there are several common mistakes that can derail your success. Being aware of these pitfalls can save you time, money, and frustration.
Overestimating AI capabilities
Many entrepreneurs fail because they have unrealistic expectations about what AI can do. According to the Project Management Institute, 70% to 80% of AI projects fail due to misaligned expectations and technical limitations.
Current AI excels at pattern recognition, content generation, and data analysis. It still struggles with common sense reasoning and creative problem-solving that requires human judgment. Before building a business around AI, thoroughly test the technology’s capabilities for your specific use case rather than relying on general claims about AI performance.
Neglecting legal and ethical considerations
AI raises complex questions about copyright, data privacy, transparency, and bias. TechTarget highlights how businesses using AI may face ethical and legal challenges related to data privacy, security, and intellectual property.
Before launching an AI business:
- Research relevant regulations in your industry and target markets
- Develop clear policies for data handling and AI usage
- Consider how you’ll address potential bias in AI outputs
- Be transparent with customers about how and where AI is used
Building technology-first instead of customer-first
The most common mistake is developing an AI solution and then searching for a problem it might solve. Successful entrepreneurs do the opposite—they identify customer problems first, then determine if and how AI can help solve them.
Start by understanding your target audience’s pain points through market research, surveys, and direct conversations. Only then should you consider which AI tools might help address those needs most effectively.
Commoditizing your AI services
With AI tools becoming increasingly accessible, offering “AI-powered services” alone isn’t enough.
To avoid becoming a commodity:
- Develop proprietary methodologies or frameworks to enhance AI outputs
- Build industry-specific knowledge to inform how you apply AI
- Create unique datasets or training approaches to improve results
- Focus on outcomes and results rather than the technology itself
Neglecting the human experience
While AI can automate many tasks, the human touch remains essential for building trust and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
The most successful AI businesses:
- Maintain clear communication about where and how AI is used
- Provide human oversight and intervention at critical points
- Use AI to enhance rather than replace human creativity and judgment
- Focus on building relationships technology alone cannot create
Remember that AI should serve your customers and your business goals—not the other way around. The technology is a means to an end, not the end itself.
Future-proofing your AI business
As AI technology evolves rapidly, building a sustainable business requires thinking ahead. Here are strategies to ensure your AI-powered venture remains relevant and competitive:
Stay adaptable with a hybrid approach
Rather than betting everything on a single AI technology or platform, develop a hybrid approach combining multiple tools and methodologies. According to MIT Sloan Management Review, the most resilient AI implementations combine automated systems with human expertise.
This might mean:
- Using different AI models for different tasks
- Maintaining human oversight for critical decisions
- Developing processes that can adapt as technologies change
Focus on solving problems, not selling technology
Businesses built around specific AI technologies may become obsolete as those technologies evolve. Instead, focus your business on solving specific customer problems that will persist regardless of technological changes.
For example, rather than marketing yourself as a “GPT specialist,” position your business as helping clients “increase conversion rates through personalized customer experiences.” This need will remain even as the underlying technology changes.
Invest in continuous learning
The half-life of AI skills is shorter than in many other fields, with Harvard Business Review research finding technical skills in some fields can become outdated in as little as two and a half years.
Set aside dedicated time each week to:
- Experiment with new AI tools and techniques
- Follow industry publications and research
- Participate in relevant communities and forums
- Take courses on emerging technologies
Build proprietary assets
While AI tools themselves may become commoditized, you can build lasting value through:
- Proprietary data: Collect and curate unique datasets that improve AI performance
- Custom workflows: Develop unique processes that combine AI with human expertise
- Industry-specific knowledge: Apply AI to specialized domains where general solutions fall short
- Brand and relationships: Build trust that transcends the specific technologies you use
By anticipating these changes, you can position your business to adapt quickly rather than being caught off guard.
Start your AI business using Shopify
Considering how far artificial intelligence tools have come in recent years, you have access to a lot of AI solutions to help turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Commerce-driven AI makes it easier than ever for you to start and grow an online store that can compete in your industry.
Whether you’re writing product descriptions or need help turning live chats into checkouts, Shopify Magic supports you 24/7 with the powerful AI tools to help your ecommerce business thrive.
How to make money using AI FAQ
Can you use AI to make money?
You can use AI tools to create optimized websites that bring in ad revenue, offer services like AI-powered accounting and bookkeeping that you advertise on freelance sites, or focus on content creation by using AI-powered tools to generate text and graphics for your clients.
How much can you earn using AI?
Earning potential with AI can vary widely depending on how you leverage the technology, as well as your skills, time, industry, niche, and product demand. Generally, you can expect to earn monthly income from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, but that also depends on factors like your marketing efforts and profit margins.
What are some AI tools you can use to make money?
Among the AI tools you can use to make money with AI are ChatGPT, Jasper AI, Copy.ai, Writesonic, Rytr, Pictory, Animoto, RapidMiner, DataRobot, and Domino.
Are there any risks associated with making money using AI?
Yes, as with any new technology, there are risks associated with making money with AI. You should do your own due diligence when it comes to assessing the risk of using AI-powered platforms for your business, but here are a few considerations: AI algorithms can make mistakes (known as AI hallucinations), cite outdated data, and often lack the ability to cite the sources where it found information. There also could be potential legal risks associated with using AI tools in certain situations, so always consult with your attorney before embarking on a new business venture that utilizes AI technologies.
Can you make money using ChatGPT?
Yes, you can make money with AI by incorporating ChatGPT into your products or services. For example, you could offer AI chatbot services or automated customer support, or use the AI tool for freelance coding or content creation.
