8 ChatGPT Side Gigs: Are They Legit Money-Making Opportunities?

 Are ChatGPT side gigs legitimate, or just another overhyped scam? We uncover the truth behind these money-making opportunities.

It didn’t take long for finance gurus to obsess over ChatGPT. Self-proclaimed experts boast that you’ll generate thousands of dollars effortlessly if you utilize chatbots.

Although tempting, please think twice before taking their advice. AI can help you make money—just not in the way gurus claim. Here’s the truth about eight popular ChatGPT side hustles.

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1. YouTube Script Writing

YouTube content creators find scriptwriting taxing. It’s a cognitively demanding task with several steps: topic generation, market research, and writing. Finishing just one draft could take days.

Considering the time and effort required, many creators would rather let ChatGPT handle their scripts. It can make 1,000-word outputs within seconds. All you have to do is tell ChatGPT your topic, tone, and niche.

Despite their convenience, we advise against AI-generated scripts. They’re dull and redundant. OpenAI trained ChatGPT on limited datasets, so it only pulls data from existing content, e.g., Wikipedia pages, blogs, and journals. People have likely seen the same information elsewhere.

Instead of spamming your channel with generic, AI-produced videos, focus on creating content that resonates with your audience. Ask what viewers want from you. YouTube has nearly a billion videos—viewers won’t bother with recycled ideas.

2. Academic Essay Writing

Taking on essay writing gigs is a gray area in freelancing—they promote cheating. Yet despite their controversial nature, many freelancers sell essays. You’ll find several academic writing jobs online.

Technically, you can try writing paid essays, but at least avoid using ChatGPT. OpenAI trained ChatGPT on vast but finite datasets. It never double-checks information; hence some outputs could contain inaccuracies and discrepancies.

Likewise, ChatGPT has limited knowledge of events after 2021. The above photo shows that it doesn’t even know its release date. Academic writing involves a lot of fact-checking, so research topics yourself and cite sources. Otherwise, clients will stop hiring you.

3. Copywriting and Blogging

AI has come a long way from spitting incoherent text. ChatGPT runs on advanced language models that produce natural, human-like phrases free of typos and grammatical errors. It already writes better than most inexperienced writers.

Because of these advancements, gurus preach that content writers should start relying on ChatGPT. Some even advise automating the entire writing process.

While chatbots will help you write quicker, submitting AI-generated pieces is unethical and irresponsible. Most publications actually prohibit AI writing tools. Yes, they’re fast, but they’re also prone to inaccuracies and plagiarism. Avoid writing with ChatGPT unless your client instructs it.

Tip: You don’t have to ditch ChatGPT altogether. Writers can use AI responsibly for topic research, idea generation, and simple coding.

4. Caption Writing

Users often write captions as an afterthought. They obsess over uploading the perfect post so much that they overlook other crucial elements. Some just bombard their captions with hashtags.

Although using ChatGPT to write captions seems practical, it really has little upside. Captions are limited. You can’t waste your character count on generic, spammy AI-generated fluff. Remember: ChatGPT only pulls templates from its database.

To grab the reader’s attention, write captions yourself. See what format suits your brand. Some users like writing long-form captions that tell stories, while others prefer a minimalistic approach. We suggest trying out different styles.

5. Selling Diet and Fitness Programs

ChatGPT carries several health-focused functions. Users can generate recipe ideas, study workout routines, and ask general wellness questions. Although helpful, shady fitness gurus also abuse this feature. They ask ChatGPT to spit out a bunch of workout routines, compile them into PDFs, and then sell them to their followers.

To make matters worse, many encourage fellow influencers to do the same. ChatGPT can’t replace licensed experts. Its limited datasets occasionally produce inaccurate, unreliable results. Carelessly distributing them as proven, effective advice is dangerous and irresponsible.

You can share your personal preferences. But don’t sell e-books of workout regimens, diets, and supplement recommendations unless you have the necessary certifications.

6. Coding Websites

ChatGPT writes code. Just mention the purpose of your website, and it will suggest an appropriate code snippet. You could even input your preferred programming language.

While most snippets work, they only cover the basics. You’ll end up with dull-looking web pages if you try coding them. ChatGPT is best for practicing coding, not for selling websites.

If you need to launch a website but don’t have any experience, use no-code site builders. They use drag-and-drop editors. Instead of manually typing source code, you can drag around page elements.

7. Email Marketing

Fake gurus claim that ChatGPT handles all their copywriting needs. Precise, detailed prompts supposedly make custom sales emails that match your tone and branding. The below image shows a sample AI-generated sales email.

While ChatGPT can quickly write multiple sales emails, don’t expect positive results. Generic, sales-y templates yield low conversion rates. Radicati reports that consumers send and receive 120+ emails daily—they’ll automatically ignore low-effort promotions. Some might even flag your account as spam.

Instead of sending AI-generated pitches en masse, write personalized emails that address pain points and propose viable solutions. You should know what the market wants.

8. Creating and Selling Prompts

The way you phrase your prompts affects ChatGPT’s responses. Straightforward questions trigger basic answers, but clever phrasing and precise instructions maximize language models.

Let’s say you want to learn about AI. The below photo shows what ChatGPT says if you ask the question outright.

Meanwhile, the below image demonstrates how additional instructions change ChatGPT’s output.

These examples simply cover the basics. To get the best results from ChatGPT, you must craft detailed instructions that maximize datasets and override certain restrictions. The below photo illustrates an effective jailbreak prompt.

Since most people are new to AI chatbots, few can craft precise instructions. Users need skilled prompt engineers. They’ll pay for working, up-to-date prompts, which you can sell on GitHub repositories, Reddit threads, and social media sites.

Explore Responsible Ways to Make Money With AI

AI chatbots only serve as tools. Stay away from any self-proclaimed guru who claims otherwise. You can use ChatGPT for work, but carelessly offloading entire projects is irresponsible and unethical.

Likewise, do your research before jumping into other side hustles. Gigs with low barriers to entry, e.g., trading crypto, launching eCommerce stores, and answering paid surveys, aren’t as lucrative as newbies think. Manage your expectations, or else you’ll be disappointed.