Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we work, making it easier than ever to earn extra income online. If you’re curious about AI-driven side hustles, you’re in the right place!
In this listicle, you’ll find 16 easy side hustles that anyone can start using AI tools, even without prior experience.
These opportunities are perfect for students, stay-at-home parents, or anyone looking to supplement their income. Let’s get started!
1. Photo Colorization or Restoration
Bring old memories back to life by offering colorization and restoration services for cherished family photos.
Reviving Cherished Memories
Photo colorization and restoration involve enhancing old, faded, or black-and-white images to make them look vibrant and new. In the past, this work required professional training, but AI tools like Deep AI and MyHeritage’s InColor now make the process accessible to everyone.
- Market Demand: Families treasure old photos, and many are willing to pay to bring their memories to life. This service appeals to individuals as well as businesses in history, genealogy, and media.
- Earnings Potential: Freelancers on Fiverr have reported making over $40,000 by offering photo restoration services. Since the primary cost is digital software, overhead expenses are minimal, increasing profit potential.
By offering your services online, you can help people around the world rediscover their most precious memories. You’ll likely find a steady flow of clients on sites like Upwork and Freelancer, where demand for this service remains high.
2. Short Video Creation for Social Media
Create engaging short videos tailored for platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with AI making video production easier than ever.
Engage Audiences with AI-Powered Short Videos
With the popularity of platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, short-form videos are in high demand. Using AI tools like InVideo, Opus Clip, Munch, and Submagic, you can create captivating, high-quality videos without needing advanced editing skills. These AI-powered platforms make it easy to generate videos that grab attention and resonate with audiences.
- How It Works: These AI tools simplify video creation by offering features like auto-captions, clip generation, and eye-catching templates. InVideo, for instance, provides a massive library of templates and stock footage to create visually appealing videos. Opus Clip can turn long videos into short, engaging clips, while Munch and Submagic help with auto-generating captions and analyzing video performance for social media platforms.
- Market Demand: Short-form videos are key for brands and influencers looking to boost their online presence. Businesses often outsource video content creation to freelancers who can deliver quick, professional results. Fiverr and Upwork frequently list jobs for short video creation, allowing freelancers to charge per clip or project.
- Income Potential: Video creators often charge $20 to $100 per short video, depending on length and quality. Skilled video creators can earn substantial income by handling multiple projects for brands or influencers. According to a Social Media Examiner report, brands are willing to invest in short-form videos to boost engagement, making it a lucrative side hustle.
Creating short videos with AI tools is ideal if you’re interested in social media trends and visual storytelling. This side hustle offers the flexibility to work with various clients and adapt to evolving content trends, all while letting AI handle the technicalities.
3. Background Removal Services
Simplify and enhance images by offering background removal services that cater to businesses and individuals alike.
In Demand for E-commerce and Social Media
Background removal has become essential for e-commerce businesses, content creators, and anyone looking to create professional images. With tools like Removal.ai and Canva, removing backgrounds from images is fast and straightforward, requiring no advanced skills.
- Monetization Strategy: You can start by charging around $10 per image. Many freelancers find clients on platforms like PeoplePerHour, where they remove backgrounds for product images, marketing materials, and more.
- Earnings Example: Experienced freelancers report substantial earnings from background removal services. By building a strong portfolio, some freelancers have earned thousands each month from this simple task.
Given the high demand, especially among online stores and social media influencers, background removal is an excellent entry-level side hustle.
4. Watermark Removal
Help clients achieve clean, professional images by offering watermark removal for their photos.
Delivering Clean and Professional Images
Watermark removal is another service that people often need but don’t have the skills to do themselves. With AI-based tools like Watermark Remover and InPaint, this process is now easy to learn and execute.
- Market Opportunity: This service is popular among photographers, bloggers, and small business owners who need clean images for personal or promotional use. You can charge between $15 and $20 per image for watermark removal.
- Income Potential: Many freelancers have reported earnings over $80,000 annually just by offering this service, as reported on Upwork’s Blog.
Providing a watermark removal service allows you to earn income while delivering real value to clients who require clean and polished visuals.
5. Publish Children’s Books
Create captivating children’s stories with AI-generated illustrations and text, bringing imaginative tales to life.
Writing and Illustrating with AI
The children’s book market is booming, and AI makes it easier to enter this space. With tools like ChatGPT for writing and MidJourney for creating illustrations, you can produce creative and engaging children’s stories even without professional writing or design skills.
- Market Insight: The demand for children’s books is high, and self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing make it easy to publish globally. The first AI-generated children’s book, Alice and Sparkle, paved the way for a new era in publishing.
- Earnings Potential: Some self-published authors have earned up to $339,000 from a single title, as shared on Kindlepreneur, making children’s book publishing an exciting opportunity.
Using AI, you can explore your creativity, publish globally, and generate passive income from book sales over time.
6. Blogging
Share valuable insights and knowledge through blogging, with AI tools simplifying content creation and boosting reach.
Earning Through Content Creation
Blogging has been a popular way to make money online, and now AI tools can help you create high-quality blog posts in record time. AI-powered content generation and SEO tools streamline the process, helping you rank better on search engines and earn through ads and affiliate marketing.
- Earnings Potential: By monetizing with Google AdSense and affiliate marketing, bloggers often make $1,000 to $3,000 monthly, as noted by Authority Hacker. The key is to choose a niche topic with a strong audience and consistent interest.
- How to Start: Affordable hosting platforms like Bluehost and WordPress make it simple to set up a blog. AI tools can then help you write articles, generate ideas, and optimize for SEO.
While blogging takes time to build a steady audience, it can become a profitable source of income with dedication and consistency.
7. Create and Sell Online Courses
Teach your skills and knowledge by creating online courses, using AI to streamline the process and reach students globally.
Teaching with AI Assistance
The popularity of online courses continues to grow, and AI makes it easier to create high-quality educational content. Platforms like Udemy and Skillshare let anyone publish a course, reaching millions of students worldwide. AI can assist in developing course outlines, writing scripts, and creating content.
- Market Demand: From photography and cooking to data science, there’s a course for nearly everything. Niche courses often stand out, as people love learning unique skills. You can use AI tools to plan course content, generate ideas, and organize material.
- Earnings Example: A successful course creator on Udemy can make $10,000 or more per month. According to Teachinguide, the average Udemy instructor earns $1,000 per month, but those with popular or niche courses can make far more.
Creating a course lets you share your knowledge and provides the potential for passive income over time. Plus, the materials you create can be reused for future courses or teaching opportunities.
8. Freelance Content Writing
Use AI tools to write engaging content for businesses, blogs, and social media, making content creation faster and easier.
Selling Your Words with AI Assistance
Content writing is in high demand, as businesses and individuals constantly need fresh, engaging content for websites, blogs, and social media. With AI tools like ChatGPT, you can speed up the writing process and even generate ideas, allowing you to take on more projects and work efficiently.
- Market Demand: Businesses are particularly interested in niches like finance, technology, and health. You can find freelance writing gigs on platforms like ProBlogger and Contena, where experienced writers can earn anywhere from $10 to $150 per article.
- Success Stories: Many freelance writers use AI to enhance productivity, meeting client needs more quickly. This allows them to earn extra income or even make writing a full-time job, as shared on the Freelancer’s Union Blog.
AI can make you more efficient, but your unique style and creativity make your work valuable. With AI assisting you, this side hustle can be a lucrative way to use your writing skills.
9. Copywriting Services
Craft persuasive copy for marketing and advertising, leveraging AI to enhance productivity and effectiveness.
Creating Persuasive Copy with AI
Copywriting, or writing for marketing and advertising, is a sought-after skill that’s easier to master with AI tools like Jasper and Copy.ai. These tools can help you craft effective sales messages, email campaigns, and advertisements, making copywriting more accessible to beginners.
- Market Potential: Businesses need compelling copy to attract customers, and they often outsource this task. AI tools enable you to write persuasive, high-quality copy quickly and professionally.
- Income Potential: Freelance copywriters can earn between $20 and $200 per project on sites like LinkedIn or Copywriting Jobs. Many freelance copywriters build entire careers out of this skill, making thousands of dollars each month.
With AI assistance, copywriting becomes an attainable and profitable side hustle, especially if you can deliver effective results that help clients succeed.
10. Selling Digital Art and NFTs
Dive into the digital art world by creating unique, AI-generated pieces that can be sold as NFTs
Bringing Art to the Blockchain
The world of digital art has expanded with the rise of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and AI tools like Stable Diffusion allow anyone to create unique and stunning artwork. NFTs let artists tokenize their work and sell it as digital collectibles on platforms like OpenSea and Rarible.
- Market Potential: NFTs are popular among digital art collectors, and AI-generated art is a unique niche that appeals to both tech enthusiasts and art lovers. Some digital artists have made thousands by selling AI art as NFTs.
- Earnings Example: Many NFT artists earn significant profits, with some pieces selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Digital artist Beeple famously sold an NFT for over $69 million, demonstrating the high value some digital art can hold.
Creating and selling digital art can be highly rewarding if you tap into the right audience and market your work effectively.
11. Launch E-commerce Stores
Start an online store with AI tools that assist in product creation, marketing, and customer service.
Using AI to Simplify E-commerce
Starting an e-commerce store can be a profitable venture, especially with the help of AI tools for product research, design, and marketing. Platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce make it easy to create a store, while AI tools streamline product selection, market analysis, and even website design.
- Real-World Examples: AI can assist in generating product descriptions, designing store layouts, and even managing inventory. Dropshipping, where you sell products without holding inventory, is one popular model that requires minimal investment.
- Earnings Potential: Profitable e-commerce stores report monthly earnings from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, as detailed on Shopify’s Blog. Businesses using AI for product development, customer service, and marketing report increased efficiency and higher profits.
With a well-targeted niche and the right AI tools, running an e-commerce store can become a steady source of income.
12. Transcription Services
Convert audio content into written form with AI-powered transcription, meeting the needs of podcasters, businesses, and students.
Converting Audio to Text with AI
Transcription services are in high demand for tasks like converting interviews, podcasts, and video content into written text. AI tools like Otter.ai and Sonix make transcribing quick and accurate. These platforms allow you to provide transcription services with minimal effort.
- Market Demand: With the rise of content creation, businesses and individuals constantly need audio transcriptions for accessibility, SEO, and note-taking. This demand means regular work for transcriptionists on sites like Rev and TranscribeMe.
- Income Potential: Many transcriptionists earn between $15 and $30 per hour, and advanced transcriptionists can make even more. High accuracy and quick turnaround times help increase earnings and build a solid client base.
Offering transcription services is ideal if you enjoy working with language and want a flexible side hustle with growing demand.
13. Social Media Content Creation
Design eye-catching social media content with AI tools, offering businesses a way to engage their online audience.
Automate and Design Content for Brands
Social media content creation is essential for businesses looking to engage audiences. AI-powered tools like Canva and Lumen5 allow you to easily create visually appealing graphics, videos, and posts. Even better, tools like Copy.ai can generate post captions, making content creation a breeze.
- Market Demand: Social media managers and content creators are always in demand, as companies need to maintain active online presences. Sites like Hootsuite provide insights on what brands look for, making it easier for you to cater your services to client needs.
- Earnings Potential: Freelancers can charge $15–$50 per post, and some social media managers earn over $3,000 a month by managing multiple accounts. Building a portfolio of past work can help secure long-term clients and increase earnings.
With AI’s help, social media content creation is accessible to anyone who enjoys design and marketing.
14. Language Translation Services
Break language barriers by offering translation services, with AI helping to make translations accurate and accessible.
Bridging Language Gaps with AI
If you’re fluent in multiple languages, AI translation tools can help you offer affordable and fast translation services. Tools like DeepL and Google Translate make translation more accessible, allowing you to cater to global clients with ease.
- Market Opportunity: Language translation is a valuable service for businesses going international, or for websites and documents needing multilingual versions. Companies often outsource translations to freelancers on platforms like Gengo and Smartling.
- Income Potential: Freelance translators earn between $20 and $50 per hour, depending on language skills and project complexity. As a side hustle, it’s feasible to earn several hundred dollars per month, especially if you specialize in certain industries.
AI-assisted language translation is ideal for bilingual or multilingual individuals and offers a flexible way to earn income.
15. Video Editing and Captioning
Enhance videos for accessibility and engagement with AI tools that make video editing simple and effective.
Enhancing Videos with AI Tools
With video content’s popularity on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, video editing is a valuable skill. AI tools like Pictory for quick edits and Descript for captions make video editing more accessible, even for beginners.
- Market Potential: Brands, influencers, and educators need video editors to create appealing content with added captions for accessibility. Many freelance video editors find work on Upwork or Fiverr and build steady client relationships.
- Earnings Example: Video editors earn around $25 to $75 per hour, and specialized editors who work with clients regularly can make thousands per month. As video content demand grows, this side hustle has great potential.
With minimal experience, you can start editing videos, adding captions, and helping creators produce polished content.
16. Voiceover Services
Record or synthesize voiceovers for multimedia projects, using AI to streamline and enhance audio production.
Recording Voiceovers with AI Support
If you have a pleasant or distinctive voice, voiceover services could be a profitable side hustle. AI tools like Speechelo and Descript’s Overdub help you create realistic voiceovers with different tones and accents, making it easy to deliver high-quality work.
- Market Demand: Voiceovers are used in ads, explainer videos, audiobooks, and e-learning courses. Sites like Voices.com connect freelancers with clients looking for unique voices.
- Income Potential: Voiceover artists can charge $50 to $200 per project, with experienced artists earning much more. Regular clients and referrals can bring in a steady stream of work, making this a lucrative option.
Using AI for editing or even generating synthetic voices makes voiceover work achievable without extensive recording equipment, helping you tap into an expanding field of audio content.