The reason people say, “You can do it too!” and give AI lectures is simple: It takes far less creativity to make money by teaching people how they can make money with AI than it does to actually make money with AI itself. Let me give you a few similar examples.

1. E-books

Publishing an e-book is not that difficult. But becoming famous through an e-book? That’s tough. (Are there even many cases of that?) The reality is: far fewer people read than watch videos. And among those who read, the chances that they’ll choose a “book”—let alone an “e-book”—over a community post or blog are slim. The odds get even lower that this small group will search for a title related to my e-book’s topic, and even lower still that my book’s preview will hook them enough to make a purchase. Writing a book for people with depression doesn’t mean that, as soon as I publish it, crowds of people struggling emotionally will rush in, read every word with care, and find healing. That’s one of the most common illusions people have. Buying a book requires the buyer’s sense of “ownership.” It’s about making them want to have this book in their (digital) library so they can pull it out anytime—and that’s not easy. (And remember, the e-book market isn’t just filled with books written specifically for e-books; it also includes digital versions of global analog bestsellers, all competing for the same attention.)

By contrast, the moment you change the topic to “How to Make Money with E-books”, the process becomes much simpler. There’s definitely a market—people looking for easy side gigs. People who don’t want to deal with others, don’t want physical labor, and want to earn money by telling their own story on their own terms. You don’t need to have a uniquely personal experience like a traditional author, or a refined, artistic writing style honed over years, or to immerse your entire being in the world related to your book’s topic for years on end. The lack of a publisher as a gatekeeper makes the barrier to entry even lower. There are no deadlines to meet, just a small cut the platform takes when you sell. And those looking to learn something—in this case, how to make money from e-books—often feel that purchasing a course or a book brings them one step closer to acquiring that skill, which makes them more likely to buy.

When you tell these people, “Here’s how to write, edit, design the cover, and sell your e-book,” and pair it with a very small number of success stories—“Look, this person made a lot of money from e-books!”—of course they’ll be intrigued. It’s a lot like today’s trendy multi-branch franchise model (!). It can often be more profitable to convince someone to open a restaurant than to actually run a successful restaurant yourself.

2. Classical Music

The same goes for classical music (my former major). Succeeding as an active classical musician is incredibly hard. The audience for classical music is already small (a fact I didn’t truly feel while I was studying it), and even fewer will make the effort to attend a live performance. Marketing yourself to this audience is especially difficult compared to other fields. So how do most classical music majors make a living? Through teaching. The irony is that it’s hard to find someone who will say, “Your performance is amazing,” but easier to find someone who’s willing to take lessons from that same performer. (How many students sign up for piano lessons at a music school because they were moved by the teacher’s playing?)

Teaching, in many ways, is a straightforward way to make money. True education, in my opinion, should be done in an apprenticeship style—one person closely guiding another like a master passing down a craft. But that doesn’t make money. So in many fields, we end up with more people making money by selling education to those with dreams about the field than people making money by actually working at the highest level in it. The flood of AI courses is, I think, part of this same trend.

Side Note

Of course, even I—the one writing this—have thought, “Maybe I could make money with AI,” and have actively used it in coding, writing, and design. What I’ve realized is this: there are cases where it’s fine if it’s obvious you used AI, and cases where the moment it’s noticeable, everyone’s interest drops and you get ignored quickly. I’ll save that story for another time.