I Asked 3 AI Tools Their No. 1 Tip for Making Money: Here’s What Experts Say Is Best
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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People use artificial intelligence (AI) for a variety of tasks, from budgeting to meal planning. Many people find generative AI to be a great tool for brainstorming — tossing ideas around and figuring out whether they will work in a real-world situation or even asking AI to come up with ideas they haven’t considered.
If you’re looking for a good way to make money, you might want to ask your favorite generative AI program. GOBankingRates asked three popular programs and got three similar answers.
Also see how to make money without working, according to ChatGPT.
ChatGPT
Since ChatGPT is my go-to generative AI tool for brainstorming and it knows I’m a finance writer, I had to start from square one for this prompt so it wouldn’t give me an answer tailored to my business and expertise. I started, “Hi! For this prompt, pretend I’ve never used ChatGPT, so we have no history and you know nothing about me. This is what I’m asking: What’s your No. 1 tip for making money?”
ChatGPT said: “Here’s my straight-up, No. 1 tip for making money: Focus on solving a real problem for other people — and charge for it.”
It then expanded on the reasoning behind its No. 1 tip. “Money always follows value. If you can consistently make someone’s life easier, save them time, or help them reach a goal, they’ll happily pay you. That could mean offering a service (like tutoring, design, or consulting), creating a product that fills a gap (physical or digital), or even packaging information in a way that saves people effort (like courses or guides),” it said. “Once you know the problem you solve, the rest — marketing, pricing, scaling — gets a lot easier.”
It then offered to provide me with practical examples. Weary of ChatGPT’s constant “upsells” to provide more details and keep people hooked on the platform longer, I sighed and typed, “Sure.”
It offered five ideas that included freelancing in a field you know; creating digital products; starting a local service-based business; using online platforms to sell products, services or entertainment; and creating a course.
Perplexity.AI
Next, I tried a new-to-me AI that I’d heard good things about. I simply asked, “What’s your No. 1 tip for making money?”
“The most important tip for making money is to focus on creating value for others, whether through solving problems, offering in-demand skills, or finding ways to meet unmet needs,” it said.
It continued by providing a bullet-point list that addressed why creating value matters and then shared three actionable ways to create value, plus three more additional quick tips. It closed by saying, “Focusing on creating and delivering value is the single most powerful approach to making money, both in the short term and for long-term wealth.”
Here are the actionable insights it included:
- Use unique skills (writing, design, coding, etc.) to freelance or consult online, serving both individual clients and businesses.
- Identify problems in everyday life or work, figure out scalable solutions, and offer those solutions to a wider market.
- Seek ways to serve current employers, clients or customers so effectively that increased pay or promotion becomes likely.
Grok
Finally, I asked Grok. Given the generative AI platform’s ties to Elon Musk, I figured if any program knows how to make money and has unique tips, it should be Grok!
“My number one tip for making money is to focus on creating value for others. Identify a problem or need in the market, develop a skill or product that solves it effectively, and deliver it consistently. Wealth follows when you prioritize providing genuine value — whether through a business, service, or investment. Stay adaptable and keep learning to refine your approach,” Grok said.
Experts Say…
Overall, of the three generative AI platforms, Perplexity replied with the most in-depth tips without additional prompting. We also polled career experts to see if they feel “creating value” is the best way to make money. Most agreed that it is.
“The best way to make money in your business is to offer a product or service that solves a problem and gives your customer or client more value than they even knew they needed,” said Shannon Russell, a business coach at Second Act Success Career Coaching.
Arie Brish, technology executive and investor who teaches at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, agreed. “The only way to succeed is to offer something that someone needs. That’s Marketing 101,” Brish said.
However, there’s another piece of the puzzle the AIs failed to mention. “You can create value for others by solving problems, but a missing element is that you have to have passion for what you do,” said Robert Johnson, Ph.D., CFA, CAIA, chairman and CEO at Economic Index Associates. “There is no substitute for finding your passion.”
Johnson shared the story of a high school classmate who always had a passion for music, specifically concerts and vinyl records. “He founded a used record store that he has continue to run for an over 40 years. I think he would tell you he hasn’t worked a day in his life,” Johnson said.
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