Since the first days of the internet, people have been looking for easy ways to make money online. While it is possible to make money on the internet, there are many other people wanting to do the same, so you usually have to find a new opportunity others haven’t taken advantage of yet, or develop real skills that provide value.
In a recent video, YouTuber and business coach Dan Martell promised to reveal the “laziest way to make money with artificial intelligence (AI).”
While the title promises lazy, easy money, the ideas he talks about all require you to put in some effort and learn a real skill, even if you use AI to help along the way. Here are some of the ideas from his video.
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1. AI Thumbnail Design for YouTube Creators
This is market research plus iteration, not prompting and hoping. You study a niche, save dozens of top-performing thumbnails and reverse-engineer common patterns. Then you deliver variants and test their click-through rate.
What you’re selling is better performance, not a JPEG. You have to justify why someone should pay you to design their thumbnail instead of doing it themselves. You have to show that you understand which thumbnails perform well and which ones don’t, and why.
Martell proposes a short “thumbnail audit” for one channel in one niche as a practical way to start. Provide the creator with a short 60-second video in which you make specific changes to one of their existing thumbnails. Then propose a low-risk paid trial for the next upload.
You still have to clear the rights on images, fonts and logos; avoid misleading edits; and keep your designs on brand. AI can help with your cutouts, styling and speed, but your taste, click-through performance and communication will decide whether you get rehired.
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2. AI-Assisted Blog Production Tied To Buyer Intent
AI can help with your structure and first draft, but the value comes from your strategy and editing. Build your content around the buyer journey — awareness, consideration, decision — instead of chasing word counts.
Repurpose content clients have already created. For example, turn podcast clips, webinars or sales calls into focused articles with clear takeaways, internal links and a short summary up top that answers the core question. Verify every claim, cite your sources and add in the human details that AI misses. And always disclose affiliate links where they’re used.
AI can reduce your drafting time, but it can also make serious mistakes. You’re still responsible for the accuracy, the voice and the usefulness of the content.
3. Faceless YouTube Explainer Videos
Consider developing narrated explainers over B-roll or stock footage. AI can help you with the research, script polishing, narration and assembly, but your audience growth will come from a repeatable episode template and steady publishing.
Pick a niche with clear advertiser demand and build an engaging script pattern. Prepare for months of consistent posting before focusing on monetization. Respect YouTube‘s reuse and monetization rules, and don’t lift other creators’ footage without permission.
4. AI-Enabled Website Builds for Small Businesses
No-code builders can help you produce fast, clean sites for some of the many small businesses that start up every year in the U.S. However, remember that what clients pay for are outcomes — booked calls, form fills, orders — not pretty templates. If you put in the work to understand your clients’ target audience and the problems their products or services solve, then you can develop website copy that converts.
Scope a simple launch package: sitemap, five core pages, on-brand copy, basic SEO settings, analytics and a clear lead path with one follow-up email flow. Build two real examples for people you know, even if unpaid, and show the before and after messaging with a measurable conversion goal.
Cover the basics that generic AI won’t: accessibility, privacy policy, cookie notice and proper licenses for images and fonts. Also, don’t promise custom development if you plan to deliver only a basic template — a good relationship with your customers can go a long way.
A Brief Disclaimer
AI raises legal and platform-specific issues. Respect copyrights, trademarks and likeness rights. Verify all facts; AI can fabricate details. Follow all applicable policies for YouTube, web hosts and ad networks. Handle customer data carefully and get written permission before connecting any additional tools. AI can speed up your workflow, but you, not the model, are the one who is accountable for what you deliver.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Lazy Ways You Can Make Money With AI (Even When You Have Nothing)
