If you’ve never thought about starting one or two AI side hustles, you’re sleeping under a rock!
People write emails, design logos, make videos, and even run full businesses with it, so whether we like it or not, it’s here to stay. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, you might as well figure out how to make it work for you.
When you think about AI, you may imagine a long list of codes or some complex lingo only a programming wiz can understand, but all that has changed.
You don’t need to be some coding genius or tech wizard. You don’t even need to fully understand how the tools work. If you can click around, follow this guide and maybe watch a YouTube tutorial, you can start making money with AI.
Read: Top 5 Work from Home Business Ideas
In this post, we’ll break down five of the easiest AI side hustles that need no technical expertise but can still generate impressive results. You start working right now even though you’ve never used any AI tools in the past.
Side Hustle 1: Freelance writing with AI
Have you ever thought about making money writing but felt intimidated by the idea of creating content from scratch? You’re not alone.
Freelance writing by itself is time consuming and requires lots of creativity, experience, and skills. Traditionally, you begin by staring at a blank page for hours, willing for words to fill the screen/paper.
However, with AI-powered content tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Copy.ai, you can generate high-quality blog posts, social media captions, product descriptions, or email campaigns with just a few prompts, even as a beginner.
You don’t even need to be passionate about writing. As long as you’re willing to learn how to use these tools effectively and you can refine AI output to sound natural and engaging, you’re good to go.
How does it work?
The tools used here are called AI writing assistants. You start by inputting your topic or some keywords and some extra information on the length, tone, and dimension of your content. The writing assistant would then generate relevant content based on that prompt.
Now this part is why they’re called writing assistants: After you get your output, you’d need to edit, tweak, and polish the result to really fit the purpose and style you’re going for. It’s also recommended that you fact-check the generated content because AI is not always right or may give outdated information.
How to Get Started
Here’s a simple checklist for getting started with AI freelance writing:
1. Choose a niche (e.g., health, finance, productivity, or parenting). Don’t overthink this part. Just pick something you’re interested in and have some knowledge of. You can always change your niche if it doesn’t work out, but be careful so you’re not stuck at this stage.
2. Create 3–5 content samples using AI tools. You can practice with a fake business or ask your friends to let you write for their business to get those real-life experiences up your sleeve.
3. Set up a simple portfolio using a free site like Carrd or Notion. Put in your best pieces to get the optimal result.
4. Offer services on freelance platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or PeoplePerHour.
5. Pitch small businesses or startups via cold emails with a short, personalized message and sample work.
6. Start your own blog (optional). With AI, you’ll create consistent posts quickly and then monetize the blog through affiliate links, ads, or selling digital products.
Pro Tips for Success
- Proofread and edit the AI output to sound human. The AI writing tool is your assistant, not the final writer.
- Focus on building genuine relationships with your clients to keep them coming for more.
- Study basic SEO writing (search engine optimization) to increase your value.
Side Hustle 2: AI Video Creation
You can’t scroll anywhere on the internet today without bumping into one or ten videos. You can find them on social media, ads, websites, emails, everywhere.
Traditional video creation is daunting. You have to write a script, film, edit, and add voice-overs. Let’s not even get started on all the fancy equipment you’d need for those. Not beginner-friendly at all.
Now with AI tools, you can create engaging videos in minutes without picking up a camera or touching any editing software.
Video content tools like Pictory, Lumen5, Synthesia, and InVideo use AI to turn text into high-quality videos with visuals, animations, voiceovers, and music, all in a few clicks.
How does it work?
Pictory and Lumen5 can generate video versions of written blog posts, product reviews, or whatever written script you put in. It works by pulling relevant stock footage from authorized sites, adding captions, transitions, and even AI voiceovers.
If you want a more personal touch, try out Synthesia. It lets you create a human-like avatar that’ll narrate your script.
How to get started
1. Pick a free or trial-based AI video tool (Pictory and Lumen5 have free versions). You can get the paid version once you start making money with the side hustle.
2. Choose a piece of text to work with. You can use yours or a client’s.
3. Use the tool to auto-generate the video. Depending on which tool you use, you’ll be guided on the steps to follow.
4. Add your own tweaks. You can adjust scenes, pick a voiceover, or upload background music.
5. Export and share or upload it to your platform of choice.
Read: How to Make Children’s Books With AI (+Make Thousands of Dollars)
How to monetize these AI Videos
You can monetize these videos by:
- Offering video creation services on Fiverr or Upwork.
- Starting a faceless YouTube automation channel.
- Collaborating with coaches, authors, or creators who want more video content.
Side Hustle 3: Selling AI-Generated Digital Products
You can wake up to “You’ve got an order” every morning and get paid over and over again for one product without putting in extra effort with this side hustle.
Digital products are intangible goods and services that anyone can download or access online. You don’t need shipping or inventory. They could be e-books, Notion templates, affirmation cards, journaling prompts, printable planners, social media caption packs, vision board kits, niche guides (e.g., “How to meal prep for busy moms”), etc.
These digital products are cheap and useful, and you’ll always make passive money off them once you upload them for sale. Plus, using AI-powered tools, you won’t have to create any of these from scratch.
How to Get Started (Step-by-Step)
1. Pick a niche you enjoy (faith, fitness, skincare, student life, etc.). You can also take it a step further and research best-selling digital products so you can tailor yours accordingly.
2. Ask ChatGPT to help you outline and write the core content. Use prompts that’ll generate the ideal product tailored to your audience.
3. Use Canva to design the product beautifully. Canva is beginner-friendly and has lots of free templates that you can just copy and paste.
4. Save it as a PDF.
5. List it on platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip, or your own blog or landing page.
Pro Tips for Success
- Keep your product titles specific and searchable (e.g., “Self-Care Planner for Burnt-Out Nurses” is better than “Self-Care Journal”).
- Use free keyword research tools (like Ubersuggest) to find what people are searching for.
- Offer bonus files or templates to make your product stand out.
Side Hustle 4: Creating AI Art for Print-on-Demand
Print-on-demand (POD) platforms like Redbubble, Printful, Zazzle and TeeSpring allow you to create and upload designs for products (like T-shirts, phone cases, mugs, posters) and earn money whenever they’re sold.
The best part is, you don’t have to worry about printing or shipping because when someone buys your product, the print-on-demand service creates it and ships it directly to the customer.
You can easily create these design arts with AI-powered art tools like MidJourney, and Artbreeder. Add that to a print-on-demand service, and you’ve got yourself a low effort, profitable side hustle.
How to Get Started
1. Sign up for a POD platform like Redbubble, TeeSpring, or Printful.
2. Use AI tools like MidJourney or DALL·E to generate art based on your niche. Check for trending designs and input prompts to generate your desired art.
3. Customize the AI-generated art further by tweaking colors, styles, or adding text using tools like Canva (free) or Adobe Spark.
4. Upload them directly to print-on-demand platforms, set your prices, and let the platform handle the rest.
Pro Tips for Success
- Research trending designs on platforms like Etsy or Instagram to see what’s popular.
- Focus on creating designs that appeal to specific communities or passions (e.g., “cat lovers”)
- Keep your designs simple but bold. Busy artwork can be hard to print clearly.
- Use social media and online communities to promote your designs. Build a brand, share your process, and connect with potential buyers.
Side Hustle 5: Offering AI-Powered Social Media Management
Every business these days needs a social media presence to succeed especially if they want to target an international audience. Managing multiple platforms is time-consuming and draining and will leave business owners with little time to actually focus on their business.
With AI-Powered tools, you can automate tasks like creating content, scheduling posts, generating captions, and even analyzing engagement with these tools.
How to Get Started
1. Content Creation
ChatGPT or Jasper can help you generate social media captions, blog posts, or even entire content calendars.
Canva’s Magic Write can assist in creating engaging visuals with text and graphics.
2. Content Scheduling:
Buffer or Hootsuite allow you to schedule posts in advance so you can set up your social media content for an entire week or month ahead of time and let it post automatically.
3. Engagement Tracking:
SocialBee or Sprout Social offer analytics to track post performance and engagement so you can find areas of improvement along the way.
4. Visual Creation:
Canva and Crello offer templates and AI features to generate all the social media graphics you’ll need, including video content.
Pro Tips for Success
- Start by offering services to local businesses or people you know. You can offer discounted rates at first to build up your portfolio.
- Use tools like Trello or Notion to track content ideas, post schedules, and client communication.
- Align content you post with your client’s target audience. Use analytics to adjust strategies and improve results.
- Tools like Zapier can automate workflows, such as posting new blog entries on social media or sending thank-you notes after purchases.
Conclusion
This is as easy as it gets with AI side hustles. Most of these AI tools shared are intuitive and user-friendly. You can start these AI side hustles with no to minimal upfront investment and earn money in your sleep.
You don’t need an expert in every field to offer high-quality services part-time. With these AI tools at your disposal, you can automate tasks, streamline workflows, and even generate content in a fraction of the time.
So, what are you waiting for? Pick a side hustle that resonates with you and start earning right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions
1. Side hustles vs passion projects?
If you want extra money outside your main job, then start a side hustle like the ones above. Passion projects can be side hustles too but you mostly do them for enjoyment not necessarily to get paid.
2. Can I work from home with these side hustles?
Yes. Many of them, like content writing, social media management, or AI art creation, can be done from home.
3. Do these side hustles need degrees?
No, you don’t need a degree to get started.
Although you may need certification to appear more valid, it’s optional. Focus on building your skills through practice and showing you can deliver real results as promised.
4. Are the AI tools Free?
Unfortunately, not all of them are. Many of them offer free plans or trials so you’ll need a subscription for premium features. But you can still make money from free and available options.
5. Do I need to be active on social media?
Not necessarily. Freelancing, creating digital products, or selling AI-generated art, don’t always require social media presence. You can use other platforms like marketplaces or freelance websites.
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