The barrier to making money online just collapsed thanks to AI. People are building apps, launching courses, and turning freelance services into automated businesses. Many of them started without technical backgrounds, but with AI they were able to go from idea to income in a couple of days.
Here are 15 ways people are making money with AI.
1. Write and sell AI-assisted content
You can share your writing on a paywalled blog or newsletter platform where subscribers access your premium articles, guides, and resources.
Pick a niche you understand, like personal finance, home fitness, or local real estate. Then, find questions people ask repeatedly on Reddit or Quora and use an LLM to help you write 800-word answers.
Here’s an example of a Reddit post that can also double as inspiration for your content ideas:
Publish excerpts on Medium or LinkedIn with your affiliate links or service offers, then track what earns revenue and do more of it.
With an AI app builder, you can add user accounts, payment processing, and even an AI-powered content recommendation engine, all from describing what you want in plain English.
2. Design graphics with AI (no drawing skills required)
To design graphics with AI, use tools like Midjourney and DALL-E that can turn text prompts into polished visuals. One prompt can create a dozen variations, allowing you to edit the best ones, deliver same-day, and move to the next client.
Good prompts are specific and visual:
- Include the subject, style, and mood: "Cyberpunk cityscape, neon lights, aerial view, cinematic"
- Add numbers when they matter: "three product mockups on white background"
- Reference styles or techniques: "in the style of Swiss design" or "watercolor illustration"
- Keep it under 40 words—AI tools ignore lengthy instructions
Avoid using prompts that are:
- Too vague: "make a nice picture" (what style? what subject? what mood?)
- Overloaded: "cat on rooftop with stars and birds and clouds and trees and buildings, no dogs, no rain, no hats..." (confuses the AI)
- Excessive negatives: "beach --no cars, trees, people, buildings, clouds" (produces odd, unusable results)
When you get good at writing clear prompts, you will get much better outputs in a shorter amount of time.
Freelance designers package quick brand refreshes—logos, banners, social templates—for $100 to $300 per project. But you can also consider building an app that does it for you, such as a logo generator that outputs client-ready packs, or a social post resizer that auto-formats for every platform.
3. Edit and repurpose videos with AI
Video editors often spend more time editing a video than it took to record it. That's the problem AI video tools solve.
For example, AI video editing tools can turn a 10-minute video into ready-to-post TikToks. Descript lets you edit video by changing text instead of scrubbing timelines, while Runway removes silence and filler words.
To get started, consider offering video repurposing as a service where one long video becomes 10 short clips. Charge $150-300 per video and deliver in 24 hours. Target coaches, consultants, and small business owners who record content but don't have time to edit it themselves.
You can build a video repurposing platform with Anything’s AI app builder. Clients upload long videos, specify their preferences (platform, duration, style), and receive their edited clips. You can add automated invoicing, delivery notifications, and a client dashboard to track orders. The app handles intake, payments, and delivery while you focus on editing.
4. Run an AI-powered marketing service
The approach here is simple: package a service with a fixed price, defined scope, and quick delivery. Let AI give you the leverage to move fast.
You might offer "10 ads in 24 hours" or "weekly email refresh." ChatGPT drafts copy, and AdCreative builds visuals. What used to take a week happens before your client's next meeting, which is why they'll pay premium prices for it.
You can also create a campaign generator app that takes client inputs (product, audience, goals) and produces complete marketing packages, or build a client portal where they request assets, approve drafts, and track campaign performance, all branded with your agency name.
5. Build AI training or education apps
Package your expertise as a smart training app that collects payments while students learn at their own pace.
You can do this without coding in Anything’s AI app builder. Describe what you want in plain English, like "fitness assessment with progress tracking" or "language drills with pronunciation feedback" and the tool will build the interface, payments, and hosting.
Tip: Download Anything’s mobile app to develop your ideas on the go.
Make your app more engaging by adding lesson modules, quizzes, progress tracking, and certificates. You can incorporate AI-powered features like personalized study paths, instant feedback, or adaptive difficulty that adjusts based on how students perform. Connect Stripe to charge per course or via monthly subscription, then deploy to iOS, Android, and web simultaneously from the same project.
6. Create paid memberships or portals
A membership portal gives you predictable income because users log in, access your content or tools, and their subscription renews automatically.
The key is picking the right niche. Some niches naturally work better for membership models than others, and understanding why helps you avoid building something nobody wants to pay for. You want a niche where people have an ongoing need, not just a one-time question.
For example, executive coaches want peer discussions with other coaches who understand their challenges.
You can build this in a weekend by describing what you want in plain English to an AI app builder, connecting your data, and adding a subscription paywall. The platform handles authentication, payments, and hosting, so you just need to decide what's behind the paywall.
7. Offer AI automation to small businesses
Small businesses spend hours on tasks that software should handle, such as email sorting, appointment booking, invoice reminders, and basic customer support.
With AI, you can create custom automation dashboards that clients can control themselves. Build an app where they see their workflows, approve actions, and track what's automated without calling you every time something changes. You can add email integration, calendar sync, and automated reporting. The business pays monthly for the app instead of per-automation, giving them unlimited value while you earn predictable revenue.
You're not replacing people here; you're removing the work that wastes their time. ChatGPT handles email triage. Zapier connects apps. Make.com builds workflows. You can charge monthly to maintain the system, which is a better business model than one-time project fees because it's predictable and scales as you add more clients.
Target one business type like dentists, consultants, or small law firms, and build a demo that automates their most repetitive task to win your first customer.
8. Build niche productivity tools
To build a productivity tool, pick a problem you've personally experienced in a specific niche, then use AI to solve it.
This could be a habit tracker for runners, a meal planner for bodybuilders, or a quote generator for freelance designers.
The advantage of going narrow is you can actually talk to your users. You know exactly where they hang out online, what they struggle with, and what features would make them upgrade. That's harder to do when you're building for everyone.
Use Anything to build your niche tool as a full production app. You can add user accounts, data sync across devices, and premium features behind a paywall. The app works on iOS, Android, and web from the same description, which means you're not limiting your market to just one platform. Connect Stripe for subscriptions and you're collecting recurring revenue.
9. Provide AI customer support solutions
Most small businesses can't afford a support team, but they need to respond to customers quickly. That's the gap you fill.
You can set up an AI chatbot that handles common questions, escalates complex issues to humans, and learns from every interaction. The business gets 24/7 coverage without hiring night shift staff. You get monthly recurring revenue for maintaining and improving the system.
If you think you can’t compete with big players like Intercom or Zendesk, consider that some small businesses might find those tools overwhelming and expensive. A dental office or local consulting firm doesn't need an expensive enterprise platform with features they'll never use. They need something simple that answers the five questions customers actually ask, and they need someone who understands their business well enough to set it up correctly.
10. Create and sell digital products with AI
Digital products let you earn from the same work multiple times. Build a course, ebook, workbook, or template library. Use AI to draft the content, then you shape and polish it. Package it as a downloadable or web-based product.
When you're ready to level up, build a paywalled portal where you charge monthly for live updates and new content. This turns one-time buyers into recurring subscribers, which is better for cash flow and easier to predict.
11. Offer AI consulting or workshops
Most teams know AI tools exist but freeze when choosing what actually works for their situation. Your job is to guide their decision.
You can offer three solutions that solve decision paralysis. First, run an audit where you map their workflow against quick-win automations. Second, give them a 30-day roadmap with specific tools, costs, and realistic timelines. Third, run a workshop where you build a working prototype they can actually use.
That last part is key. Spin up a live chatbot, booking system, or analytics dashboard during the workshop using tools like Anything. Seeing their own data in a real app beats any pitch deck, and they leave with something functional instead of just a PDF recommendation.
12. Build custom tools for agencies
Agencies need software that cuts costs and wins clients, such as proposal generators, client portals, or analytics dashboards.
With AI app builders, you can deliver that software in a couple of days. They handle the database, authentication, and payments automatically. You describe what the client needs, get a working app, and invoice when it goes live.
13. License or resell AI-powered tools
Instead of chasing one-off projects, give several companies access to the same product and collect predictable revenue.
Modern app builders make this accessible. You describe the app, get a production-ready version with full source code, then develop white-labeled versions for different clients. Each client gets their own branded version with their logo, colors, and data.
Anything’s AI app builder gives you exportable code and one-click white-labeling. Build a versatile tool (like a KPI dashboard, policy tracker, or client portal) then deploy branded versions for each customer. Change the logo, adjust the color scheme, and connect their data. The platform handles separate databases, user management, and billing per client. You own the code, so you control pricing and features.
14. Build industry-specific micro-SaaS
Vertical micro-SaaS tools serve one industry extremely well, which means they can charge more and face less competition.
Pick an industry you understand, such as real estate, healthcare, construction, or legal services. Find the software gap everyone complains about and build something that solves that specific problem better than generic alternatives. A contractor might pay $200/month for project management software built specifically for construction, even though generic options cost $50/month, because yours understands how their industry actually works.
15. Combine multiple AI skills into one income stream
When you combine complementary skills into a complete solution, you can charge premium prices because you're solving the full problem instead of just one piece.
For example, a consultant might use AI to build a diagnostic tool + report generator + client portal as a single app. An educator might combine course content + progress tracking + community features. The stack commands higher prices than individual services because it's the complete solution.
Turn knowledge into income
Pick one approach from this list that matches what you already know, and build an MVP.
Your first version won't be your best version, but it will teach you what your second version needs to be. Getting real market feedback beats endless planning every time.
With AI, it will be easier to improve your app using customer feedback and grow your income stream.
