5 Surprising Ways AI Is Making People Money
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AI is everywhere in modern life. It’s changing how people receive and organize information — from data that helps you decide which car to buy to recipes for dinner. Odds are, you’ve already experienced AI’s impact on your workday, whether you’ve used it to proofread a document or explain high-level concepts. But there are other ways AI can help you make money — and some of them may surprise you.
Lel Smits, global finance strategist and founder of The Stock Network, isn’t surprised. She’s been tracking how AI is benefiting people’s wallets and sees a range of opportunities for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit. As part of GOBankingRates’ Top 100 Money Experts series, Smits shared the unique ways AI could help you earn extra income.
1. Offer Services to Local Businesses
If you’re passionate about helping others grow their businesses — while starting your own — AI can empower you to help local companies master simple yet meaningful tasks like social media management and customer service optimization.
“One of my favorite sayings is to think global but act local,” Smits said. “There are so many opportunities for you that are around your own neighborhood.”
Smits encourages people to ask their favorite local businesses if they have a website or social media pages — and to follow up by asking whether they need help building or managing them. With AI tools, you can assist with these tasks without advanced tech skills or a large budget.
She also noted that you can use AI to identify which businesses in your area might need help, saving hours of research. For example, you can use AI to help local business owners optimize customer service by tracking and responding to common questions.
2. Create 24/7 Side Hustles
AI is revolutionizing how quickly and easily people can launch a side hustle. Smits suggests building your side business in four distinct steps: idea generation, product creation, marketing and sales.
“So, firstly, with the idea, generate 10 high-demand digital product ideas you can make with no budget,” she said. “Secondly, when it comes to the product, write SEO product descriptions and include titles for things like Etsy or maybe eBay listings.”
For marketing, Smits advises using AI to create a seven-day content plan for social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram. Once you’re ready to sell, you don’t need to be a wordsmith — let AI help you draft catchy outreach emails or engaging web copy.
3. Research Smart Investment Decisions
Ever wish you could get investment advice on the fly? While you can’t carry your financial advisor in your pocket, AI could be the next best thing.
AI can’t choose stocks for you, but it can help you make smarter decisions by supercharging your research capabilities.
“If you’re an investor asking about particular scenario planning or sentiment analysis, idea generation or even asking [about] scenarios, AI can give you ideas about how it would look for you,” Smits said. “But remember that AI doesn’t replace the investor. It amplifies your ability to spot opportunities, manage risk and make data-driven decisions — all in a fraction of the time.”
4. Provide Creative Service Automation in Unexpected Industries
Imagine walking through an open house and hearing a smooth voice describing the home’s best features. You might think you’re in a sci-fi movie — but you’re actually experiencing the creativity of a real estate agent using AI-generated voiceovers for open house tours.
Smits said this is just one example of how professionals in specialized industries can use AI to streamline processes and improve customer service. She also pointed to personal trainers who use AI to develop customized workout programs and local cafés that generate viral-ready social media content using AI visuals.
Regardless of your industry, there’s likely a way to use AI to boost business.
“You’ve got to credit humans for their creativity,” Smits said. “AI is really not limited by any bounds of creativity, and it’s the future of what we’re going to see in terms of application.”
5. Perform Content Creation at Scale
When you’re hustling to grow your side business, you’ve probably wished you could clone yourself to create twice as much content in half the time. AI can’t clone you, but it can help you scale your content creation and reach more clients by automating time-consuming processes.
Using AI for brainstorming and writing can dramatically increase your productivity — helping you take on more work and meet tighter deadlines — all while maintaining quality and consistency.
Still, Smits emphasizes that AI isn’t here to replace the human touch, nor is it a get-rich-quick tool. Instead, it’s designed to help people nurture the spark of inspiration that drives both growth and income.
“AI is being used to enhance productivity, which really shows that AI isn’t about sci-fi robots,” she said. “It’s about amplifying what humans are already doing really well through speed, insight and creativity.”
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