- Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that can create new content like text and images.
- Freelancers are relying on AI to increase their productivity, take on more projects, and boost their income.
- Insider rounded up a list of 6 generative AI side hustles that are helping people earn thousands.
Scroll through a site like Upwork, and you’ll see hundreds of listings from companies looking for someone to make them a winning pitch deck.
With technology like ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating chatbot, and Tome, an AI-powered storytelling tool, freelancers can churn out multiple pitch decks a week.
Larry Lundstrom, a pastor based in Arkansas, told Insider he makes two to three pitch decks a week using generative AI tools and charges anywhere between $500 to $1,000 per deck.
Publishing books
Between ChatGPT’s capacity to churn out clear and simple text, and AI art generators like Midjourney and DALL-E 2, publishing children’s books has never been easier.
Ammaar Reshi, who works as product-design manager at the financial-tech company Brex, used ChatGPT and Midjourney to write and illustrate a children’s book titled Alice and Sparkle in 72 hours.
The book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Walmart. Reshi told Insider he’s already sold over 1,330 copies since Alice and Sparkle went on sale in December, and has generated $2,600 so far, noting that Amazon takes a significant cut of the royalties.
Meagan Loyst, the founder of an online community of young investors called Gen Z VCs, used ChatGPT and DALL-E 2 to self-publish a children’s book in less than two hours.
Her book “Show Me What AI Can Do!” is available on Amazon for $2.99.
Overdubbing videos in other languages
Streaming companies like Netflix and content creators on YouTube and TikTok are turning to voice dubbers to translate their videos into more languages and reach a global audience.
With a growing number of A.I. tools, freelancers can try their hand at dubbing too.
YouTuber Kris McCauley, whose videos on generating money online have earned him more than 90,000 subscribers on YouTube, recently began a Spanish channel for his videos.
In a video published on January 5, McCauley said he initially turned to translations.com, which he described as a go-to for many YouTubers, to translate his videos into Spanish. In the video, McCauley said the company quoted him $4,000 for dubbing 100 minutes of footage.
McCauley said he then came across Nova A.I., a software that can translate and add subtitles to videos. Nova A.I.’s “Pro” plan — priced at $18 a month — allows users to translate 300 minutes of footage into 75 different languages, according to its site.
McCauley mentioned he’s saving hundreds of dollars with this new approach — though he’s still relying on external dubbers as well.
Still, he noted that an enterprising freelancer could easily turn dubbing a profitable side hustle with a tool like Nova A.I.
Writing articles
ChatGPT has shocked people with its capacity to articulately string together words. So, it can be a beneficial tool for those trying to earn money generating written content.
Henry Williams, a freelance writer based in London, used the bot to generate a marketing article. To his “horror” he said ChatGPT put together a 600 word article in less than 30 seconds.
Williams noted that the bot’s tone was inhuman and the structure wasn’t particularly sophisticated, but the “key points, the grammar, and the syntax were all spot on.”
After a few tweaks, he said it was something he would have charged at least $615 to write.
Creating resumes
On a site like Upwork, freelance resume writers advertising their services are charging anywhere between $25 to $65 an hour.
And when most of that work is outsourced to ChatGPT, resume writing turns into an easy, money-making side hustle.
“ChatGPT can write better cover letters and resumes than almost any person,” said Brianne Kimmel, a venture capitalist who founded the firm Worklife Ventures.
As the only general partner at what Kimmel calls a “lean firm” Kimmel said that she and her team work with a lot of freelancers and specifically look for early adopters of new tools.
“I’m really excited about AI, because I feel like finally, there’s this new technology that really helps anyone learn a new skill quickly,” she said. “And then there’s new technologies where people can actually monetize those skills.”
Movie making
Aspiring filmmakers with busy day jobs are finding it easier to pursue their passions with generative AI tools.
Jordan Poblete, a corporate strategist with a penchant for movie-making is using ChatGPT and Dall-E 2 to put together a pitch for an independent movie.
“Our particular fim includes magical realism or aspects of magical realism that can’t be created in a real world,” he said, adding that Dall-E 2 has been especially helpful in achieving the right feel.
Poblete said he plans to pitch the movie to producers later this month. Though he said he not sure exactly how much money the movie might generate, he’s certainly hoping for a hit.
Reshi used ChatGPT, MidJourney, among other AI tools to make an animated short within 6 hours. Since it was uploaded to Twitter last month, the video has already amassed more than 7 million views.
While Reshi told Insider he doesn’t have plans to launch into animated shorts right now, he said, “if there’s an idea that’s inspiring enough that is worth monetizing (and I manage to find more time after my day job haha) then definitely!”
