17 Ways to Make Money With AI

Worried about AI taking your job? You might be surprised to learn that while AI does pose a big threat to some roles, it also offers plenty of new and innovative ways to help you earn income. Here are 17 ways to make money with AI in Canada, plus what you need to do to get started.

1. Train AI

How much you can earn: The pay rate varies substantially depending on the platform, the complexity of the tasks you need to perform and whether you have any special expertise. Rates range anywhere from $5 to $150 per hour.

How it works: Tech firms continue to work on refining and improving their AI models, ensuring that they can produce more reliable and accurate responses in real-world situations. Several legitimate companies pay Canadians and people from all around the world to help train AI models. Once you’ve created an account on an AI training platform, you’ll be able to pick and choose specific tasks to complete. These tasks can be quite basic, such as tagging images or recording audio, or they can be much more involved. In return for your time, you’ll either get paid an hourly rate or a flat fee per job. In most cases, payment is made via PayPal.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Choose your own schedule
  • Work remotely
  • Reasonable earning rate compared to many other ways to make money online

  Cons

  • Some platforms require you to have specific qualifications
  • Not everyone is approved
  • Some tasks are monotonous

• Tips to succeed

  • Be a good communicator. You’ll need to be a clear and concise communicator to provide effective feedback and successfully complete AI training tasks. Focus on developing your written and verbal communication skills to get more work.
  • Check instructions carefully. Take your time to thoroughly read the instructions for any training task so you know exactly what is required of you.
  • Sign up on multiple platforms. As you can see in the table below, several legitimate AI training sites are available. Create accounts on multiple platforms to maximize your earning opportunities.

• Legitimate sites that pay you to train AI

  Site	Tasks involved	Pay range
  Alignerr	Analyzing AI-generated outputs in your field of expertise, such as language, writing, arithmetic or chemistry	Up to US$150 per hour
  CrowdGen	Collecting, annotating and transcribing data Classifying images Evaluating videos Recording audio	Not specified. Check current job listings for the latest rates.
  DataAnnotation	Completing surveys Interacting with chatbots Completing creative writing tasks Coding	From US$20 per hour
  JumpTask	Labelling data Categorizing images and information Annotating text Solving CAPTCHAs	JumpTask says casual users earn around US$20 – $50 per month, while active users make around US$50 – $100 per month
  Mindrift	Copywriting Editing Sharing knowledge from your specialist field, such as coding or physics	Mindrift advertises an average pay of US$300 per week
  Neevo	Tagging images Annotating text Transforming text into audio Categorizing audio Drawing bounding boxes around objects in images Identifying key people and places in passages of text	An average of US$10 – $15 per hour
  Outlier AI	Rating and ranking responses Providing writing prompts to AI models Training AI models to generate and categorize information from images, audio or video	Approximately US$10 – $50 per hour based on jobs listed at time of writing
  Prolific	Answering surveys Playing decision-making games Participating in studies	Minimum pay rate of US$8 per hour

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2. Write

How much you can earn: According to Indeed, the average base salary for a freelance writer in Canada is $28.91 per hour.

How it works: Freelance writers can use AI tools to write blog posts, articles, sales copy, poems, ebooks and novels. You could look for ways to monetize a blog, generate sales from marketing emails, develop content for client websites and a whole lot more. There are also AI editing tools to help you perfect your grammar and punctuation.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Huge range of tools available
  • AI tools can help with every part of the writing process
  • Work from home

  Cons

  • Quality concerns surrounding some AI content creation tools
  • Human input is still required
  • Plagiarism risks

• Tips to succeed

  • Brainstorm with AI. Bad case of writer’s block? Tools like ChatGPT and Claude are very useful if you need help brainstorming content ideas.
  • Provide detailed guidance. You’ll need to provide the AI model with clear instructions about the type of content you want, your desired tone and your target audience, then assess and refine the generated content to make sure it meets your requirements.
  • Always proofread carefully. Never simply assume that AI-generated content is ready to publish straight away; it will need thorough proofreading and fact-checking before going live.

3. Create online courses

How much you can earn: Varies.

How it works: AI course generators make it quick and easy to create interactive courses online, including videos, quizzes and assessments. You can create educational content around a huge variety of niches—from parenting and personal finance to fitness or learning an instrument—and you can then sell those courses through your own online training platform or on sites like Teachable and Udemy.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Reasonably beginner-friendly
  • Can provide passive income once set up
  • Low startup costs

  Cons

  • Plenty of competition
  • You'll need to check the course content carefully to ensure accuracy
  • You may need specific qualifications or experience to lend legitimacy to your course

• Tips to succeed

  • Choose the right niche. Look for a course niche that’s in high demand, aligns with your knowledge and experience, and allows your content to stand out from the competition.
  • Use social media. Use social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to provide useful tips and advice to your target audience. Once you’ve built a loyal following, you can use your socials to promote your course.
  • Make it interactive. Use videos, polls, quizzes and other interactive content to help make your course as interesting and engaging as possible for students.

4. Develop an app

How much you can earn: Varies depending on the size of your audience and how you monetize your app.

How it works: Got a great idea for an app that could provide real value to people? Maybe it’s an app to help people manage their money better, track their wellness habits or plan a party? Whatever the case may be, lots of AI app builders out there make it much quicker and easier to develop your own app. Some advanced options are best suited to developers with coding experience, but others, such as Base44 and Glide, are no-code builders. You can then sell your app through Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • You don't need to be an experienced developer to get started
  • Speed up monotonous and time-consuming tasks
  • Potential to scale your app development business

  Cons

  • Competitive marketplace
  • App store approval processes can be a hassle
  • AI tools may not offer the same level of support as a human development firm

• Tips to succeed

  • Trial different AI coding tools. Experiment with different coding tools to find one that’s right for you—some are better suited to beginners, while others require a level of coding experience.
  • Test it to perfect it. Look beyond friends and family to sites like Google Play Console and TestFlight to find beta testers for your app. This will help ensure that you can offer a smooth user experience once you launch the app.
  • Look for multiple ways to monetize. Consider looking beyond sales of your app to monetize it further, such as via in-app purchases and advertising.

5. Create and sell art

How much you can earn: Varies.

How it works: AI art and image generators can craft amazingly detailed and realistic content. You can create and sell AI-generated artworks on your own website or established online marketplaces, or use print-on-demand services to sell physical items featuring your work. Alternatively, you could market your services as a freelance graphic designer, creating logos, ads and marketing materials for businesses.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Passive income potential
  • Bring your creative vision to life, even if you only have limited artistic skills
  • Low startup costs

  Cons

  • Market saturation
  • Copyright issues
  • Everyone has seen examples of poor-quality AI-generated images

• Tips to succeed

  • Check the fine print. Before you can start selling any of your AI art, check licensing and copyright information to make sure you’re legally allowed to use the content you create for commercial purposes.
  • Choose multiple platforms. From AI art marketplaces like Artsi to more general marketplaces like Etsy, print-on-demand sites like Printify and stock image platforms like Shutterstock, there are myriad platforms where you can potentially make money from your AI art.

Success story: Sougwen Chung

Canadian-born, UK-based Sougwen Chung is not your traditional artist. This award-winning, multi-disciplinary artist specializes in human-machine collaboration, using a combination of hand-drawn and computer-generated marks to understand the relationship between people and machines. Chung’s work has featured in famous galleries around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK, and saw the artist included in the TIME 100 AI list in 2023.

6. Build websites

How much you can earn: Varies depending on the size and scope of the project as well as your experience. You could charge $300 to $500 for basic websites for small businesses, or a whole lot more for larger jobs.

How it works: Whether you want to build a website for your own business or provide website-building services to others, AI is your friend. There are AI tools to help with everything, from graphic design and layouts to copywriting and SEO optimization. Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger are just a few examples of popular AI website builders.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Quick and efficient website development
  • Lots of user-friendly AI programs to choose from
  • You don't need to be an expert developer to get started

  Cons

  • Might not offer the level of site customization you want
  • Some tools lack creativity
  • Designs can feel generic

• Tips to succeed

  • Have a clear vision. Before you start building a site, take your time developing a clear idea of how your site will look, what tone it will have, and what sort of user experience it will offer. Once you have an end goal in mind, you can provide clear and concise prompts to any AI tool you use.
  • Compare website builders. Dozens of quality AI website builders are out there, including mainstream options as well as other programs that focus on niche areas like e-commerce. Compare a range of builders and trial them for yourself to find the most user-friendly options.

7. Make YouTube videos

How much you can earn: Sources vary, but data from Influencer Marketing Hub reveals that the average YouTuber earns 1.8 cents per view.

How it works: Scroll popular content on YouTube and you’re bound to come across AI-generated videos—educational explainers, quizzes for kids, ASMR videos, top-10 lists and much more. A quick Google search makes it easy to find AI tools that can turn text, image and video prompts into videos. AI can create voiceovers for your content as well, while there are also platforms designed to automate the video editing process.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Potential to generate passive income
  • Speeds up the production process
  • You can create very professional-looking and sounding content

  Cons

  • "AI slop" quality concerns
  • Audiences are increasingly skilled at spotting AI content
  • Lots of competition for eyeballs

• Tips to succeed

  • Use the right tools. From video generators to AI narrators, there’s a huge range of AI content creation tools available. Check out the table further down this page of the best AI tools for earning money to find some of the best programs to get you started.
  • Focus on thumbnails. Eye-catching and intriguing thumbnails play a key role in getting viewers to click on your video, so take your time creating thumbnails that pop.
  • Consistent content is king. Building an audience takes time and effort. Post consistent, high-quality content to keep your viewers coming back for more.

Success story: Adavia Davis

22-year-old Adavia Davis, a college dropout from the US, has built an AI-generated content creation business that makes $700,000 a year. As reported in Fortune, Davis’ network churns out a host of YouTube videos known as “AI slop.” His content includes funny animal videos, pranks, Minecraft content aimed at younger audiences, and even lengthy history documentaries. And the best part? Davis says it only takes about two hours of work a day to manage his channels.

8. Social media management

How much you can earn: According to Indeed, the average base salary for a social media manager in Canada is $22.87 per hour.

How it works: Social media managers have a lot of roles to fulfill, but there are plenty of AI tools that can help you take your social game to the next level. From brainstorming content ideas to generating videos and graphics, writing and scheduling social media posts and analyzing data, AI platforms allow you to automate and enhance your social media marketing.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Improve efficiency
  • Generate new content ideas with ease
  • Create content tailored to your target audience

  Cons

  • Plenty of human oversight is required
  • Risk of generic content that doesn't help build relationships with customers
  • Many top-quality tools come with subscription fees

• Tips to succeed

  • Scheduling matters. Use AI tools to schedule posts for optimal times based on your target audience’s social media habits, allowing you to maximize your reach.
  • Don’t rely completely on AI. Be careful not to hand over the reins of your entire social media strategy to AI. Use AI-powered tools to generate ideas, create eye-catching content and automate some tasks, but add your own tweaks to ensure that the content is engaging and authentic

9. Affiliate marketing

How much you can earn: You can generally earn a commission of between 5% and 20% on each sale.

How it works: Affiliate marketers promote products sold on third-party platforms like Amazon or Rakuten. If someone clicks an affiliate link in your content and then purchases a product, you earn a commission. AI can help automate a range of key affiliate marketing tasks, like building websites, writing content, creating videos and creating marketing emails.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Potential for passive income
  • Save time through automation
  • Use AI analytics to find out how to better engage your target audience

  Cons

  • Lots of competition
  • Challenge of making your content seem authentically human
  • Some of the best tools have monthly fees

• Tips to succeed

  • Provide value. Rather than just blatantly selling products to your audience, provide them with useful and informative content like honest reviews and real-world product demos. Show them why they should buy a product rather than just telling them to make a purchase.
  • Leverage social media. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are extremely useful platforms for sharing tips, advice, demonstrations and product recommendations with your followers. If you take the time to build a loyal audience, your earning power will increase.
  • Use a range of AI tools. There’s no single best AI tool you should use to succeed as an affiliate marketer. Instead, you will likely need to rely on a selection of tools to aid you through different parts of the process.

10. Record an audiobook

How much you can earn: It depends on sales numbers and royalties. For example, authors on Audible can earn royalties of up to 40%, while audiobook prices vary depending on their length. Books one to two hours long are priced at $7 to $10.

How it works: Writing and recording a novel or a non-fiction audiobook? AI tools can guide you through every step of the writing process, from developing ideas and characters, developing an outline, refining your text, editing and proofreading the book, and even narrating your finished work. You can then sell your audiobook on platforms like Audible and Spotify.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Speeds up the writing and recording process
  • Much cheaper than hiring a human narrator
  • Easily translate your book into multiple languages

  Cons

  • Plagiarism concerns
  • Different sales platforms may have restrictions on the use of AI
  • Making your book stand out from the crowd is difficult

• Tips to succeed

  • Check the fine print. Some audiobook sites have restrictions on content generated by AI, or you may be required to clearly label your book as AI-narrated. Check the terms and conditions closely to make sure you comply with all sales platform rules.
  • Be a director. When narrating your audiobook, go beyond basic text-to-speech creation. Use the directing tools provided by AI platforms to adjust the pitch and timing of dialogue, adding character and authenticity to your story.
  • Distribute on multiple platforms. Don’t just use a single sales platform for your audiobook. List it on multiple sites to access the largest possible audience.

11. Invest

How much you can earn: Varies, but there is also the possibility of losing money.

How it works: AI opens up a long list of possibilities for investors. Perhaps the simplest way to make money with AI is to invest directly into artificial intelligence companies or buy units in an AI-themed ETF. Robo-advisors are also a form of AI and use algorithms to build and manage investment portfolios based on the financial goals and risk tolerance of investors. And then there are AI tools to help you screen and pick stocks, analyze market data, identify trends and opportunities, and even to help day traders with algorithmic trading.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Inform your investing decisions
  • Take a hands-off approach to investing with a robo-advisor
  • Can help with risk management

  Cons

  • AI can't predict the future
  • Risks of AI "hallucinations"
  • You could lose money

• Tips to succeed

  • Don’t rely solely on AI. AI tools are just some of the many resources you can use when choosing investments. Use your own research, analysis from experts and other resources to inform your decisions.
  • Consider ETFs. Picking individual stocks to invest in is difficult and time-consuming. Choosing an AI-themed or broader market ETF can provide exposure to AI companies without having to put all your eggs in one basket.

12. Create an online store

How much you can earn: Varies.

How it works: AI tools make it easier than ever before to set up and start making money from an e-commerce store. You can use an AI website builder to create your store, use content creation tools to generate sales copy and product listings, plus use AI to generate logos, send marketing emails, touch up product images and more.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Makes setting up a store quick and easy
  • Low startup costs
  • Potential to earn passive income from your store

  Cons

  • Plenty of human oversight is required
  • There's much more to success than just setting up a store
  • Some stores can seem overly generic

• Tips to succeed

  • Consider dropshipping. Dropshipping is a popular store model for e-commerce side hustles, removing the need for you to worry about storing inventory and shipping products.
  • SEO matters. It can be hard to make your store stand out from the crowd in a competitive online world. Use AI e-commerce tools to create SEO-friendly product descriptions and website copy, helping you rank well in search results.

13. Work as a translator

How much you can earn: According to Indeed, the average base salary for a freelance translator in Canada is $26.97 per hour.

How it works: Several AI translation tools make it quick and easy to convert content from one language to another. Freelance translators can offer their services through sites like Upwork, while you can also use these AI tools to offer text and video content in multiple languages for your customers.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Choose flexible work hours that suit you
  • AI increases speed and efficiency
  • Lots of quick and easy-to-use AI tools available

  Cons

  • AI tools are best suited to basic tasks
  • People can use free AI tools themselves instead of hiring you
  • Income can be inconsistent

• Tips to succeed

  • Use AI as your partner. AI is great for summarizing content and generating draft translations, but it’s not perfect. AI can miss humour, context and hidden meanings, which is where human guidance is essential.
  • Choose a niche. If you become highly knowledgeable in a specific field (for example, legal or medical translation), you will be well placed to identify AI errors and attract clients looking for the best.

14. Start a podcast

How much you can earn: Varies depending on the size of your audience.

How it works: Podcast generators let you turn text into audio and choose from a range of voice options. Audio mixing, noise reduction and other editing tasks can also be automated with AI tools. You can then consider ways to monetize your podcast, such as ads, subscriptions for premium content, and selling your own products or merch.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Easy to get started
  • Reduced production costs and time
  • Huge range of handy AI tools to choose from

  Cons

  • Content may not sound truly authentic
  • Plenty of competition
  • The best content creation tools can be expensive

• Tips to succeed

  • Partner with AI. Your podcast doesn’t have to be a 100% AI product. You can use AI to help with a wide range of tasks—like scriptwriting, editing and developing show notes—but still create human-centric content.
  • Use your own voice. Platforms like ElevenLabs, Podcastle and Speechify make it easy to clone your voice using AI technology. You can then use your AI-generated voice to create audio from text and speed up the recording process.

Success story: Goldie & Frenchie

If you’ve ever come across Goldie & Frenchie, the AI-generated dog duo behind social media videos and podcasts for the DogPack app, you’ll know just how powerful a tool AI can be for any brand. Blending humour with undeniable cuteness, this adorable Golden Retriever and French Bulldog have become a social media sensation. They discuss the big topics—like the feeling you get when your humans come home, and why dogs follow their people around the house—and provide an adorable, relatable and furry touch to the DogPack brand. All this combined has seen DogPack amass over 960,000 followers on Instagram and almost 370,000 followers on TikTok.

15. Provide AI services to businesses

How much you can earn: According to Job Bank data, the median hourly rate for an AI consultant in Canada is $46.15.

How it works: AI offers a wide range of benefits to help businesses save time and money, but many small business owners don’t know where to start. If you know your way around the best AI tools, you can work as a consultant to help automate a wide range of business tasks. From data entry and scheduling to answering customer inquiries and digital marketing, AI tools offer multiple ways to provide value for businesses.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Potentially lucrative opportunity
  • Help businesses improve their efficiency and bottom line
  • There are AI tools to help with a wide range of everyday business tasks

  Cons

  • It's full-time work, not a side hustle
  • You need AI knowledge and experience to get started
  • Some businesses will require ongoing technical support

• Tips to succeed

  • Solve key problems. Identify specific pain points for businesses that AI can impact. Focus on a key area—like automating routine tasks or improving lead generation—to demonstrate the worth of AI tools.
  • Find a niche. Focus on offering your services to a specific industry where AI can make a big difference on a day-to-day basis. If you can show a business owner how you’ve successfully helped another company that operates in the same industry, they’ll be more likely to hire you.

16. Develop or sell AI chatbots

How much you can earn: It depends on whether you treat it as a side hustle or a full-time gig, whether you sell simple or industry-specific chatbots, and how many clients you get. You could potentially earn hundreds or thousands per month.

How it works: AI chatbots help businesses automate time-consuming tasks like providing customer support, taking bookings and responding to inquiries. You could make money by selling subscriptions to AI chatbots designed for use in specific industries, or use your coding and development skills to customize white-label chatbots for individual businesses.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • High level of demand
  • Potential for regular monthly income
  • Helps free up time for businesses

  Cons

  • Development skills may be required
  • Not passive income—requires ongoing work
  • Some customer queries are too complex for AI to handle

• Tips to succeed

  • Demonstrate the value you can provide. Provide real-world data and examples to show potential customers how you can help their business. For example, how much money can you save them on customer support costs? By what percentage can you increase their lead generation?
  • Focus on key areas. Think of the jobs that small business owners hate—like manual data entry—and show how an AI chatbot can help them save hours each week by automating those boring, repetitive tasks.

17. Provide SEO services

How much you can earn: According to Indeed, the average base salary for an SEO specialist in Canada is $56,849 per year.

How it works: Search engine optimization (SEO) is a complicated but vital task for any business that wants to stand out online. The good news is that plenty of AI SEO tools out there can help with keyword research and optimizing content to rank well in search results. By leveraging those tools and offering your services as an SEO specialist, you could find a new side hustle or even a full-time career.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • High-demand role
  • Potentially lucrative
  • AI tools can greatly improve efficiency

  Cons

  • SEO knowledge required
  • Many of the best tools cost money
  • Highly competitive space

• Tips to succeed

  • Keep the human touch. In the E-E-A-T framework Google uses in its Search Quality Rater Guidelines, the first E stands for Experience. Including human, first-hand experience, and not just relying on AI, will help your content rank well.
  • Stay up to date. Search engine algorithms and AI SEO tools are constantly evolving. Stay up to date with the latest developments by following industry blogs and testing out new tools for yourself.

What AI tools are best for earning money?

If you want to make money with AI, here are some popular tools you may be able to use to earn extra income.

Tips to succeed in using AI to make money

• Find your niche. It’s a competitive market, so standing out from the crowd can be difficult. You may need to focus on a specific niche or consumer issue to have success.
• Do your research. AI technology is constantly evolving, and new tools become available on a regular basis. You’ll need to stay up to date with the latest developments to make sure you’re using the best AI tools.
• Boost productivity. Make the most of AI tools to help increase your efficiency and productivity. From transcription apps to grammar checkers, scheduling tools and project management apps, there are plenty of tools to help you save time and get more done.
• Fact check. Don’t assume that AI-generated content is accurate, original and ready to publish straight away. You’ll need to review it thoroughly before putting it to use.
• Check the fine print. Check the terms and conditions of any AI tool to find out if there are any restrictions on how you can use the content you generate. Make sure you will have full ownership of the generated content and can use it however you want.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you really make money with AI?

  Yes, you can make money with AI in several ways. Some platforms pay you real money to help train AI models by completing tasks such as tagging images and annotating text. But several AI tools can be used for content creation, providing the potential to make money from freelance writing, building websites, creating artworks and editing videos. Then there is a range of other specialized tasks AI can help with, like translation, social media management, customer service automation and search engine optimization.

• How do I use AI for a side hustle?

  You can make money with AI in several different ways. Train AI jobs are one popular option, as several platforms pay you to train AI models by completing tasks like writing, tagging images and interacting with chatbots.

  But a myriad of other AI tools could potentially help you start a successful side hustle. These include graphic design tools that can be used for selling artworks, selling print-on-demand products, or creating logos and marketing material for your brand. Other AI tools can help you make money as a freelance writer, online course creator, affiliate marketer and podcaster. It's up to you to identify a niche market or a specific problem that needs to be tackled, then put AI to work for you.

• How do you make money on Audible with AI?

  AI platforms offer multiple resources to help you create, narrate and make money from an audiobook on Audible. For example, you could use ChatGPT to write your book, then use ElevenLabs, Speechify or other voice generation tools to narrate your audiobook. And of course, there are also AI tools to help you create cover artwork for your story, to use SEO techniques to make your listing stand out and to help you promote your audiobook on social media.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Leanne Escobal as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Tim Falk

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Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 20-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors. See full bio

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