We’ve all heard those tragic accounts of people who sold a few Bitcoins instead of keeping them. A 2023 survey by the Ontario Securities Commission revealed that 77% of crypto investors expressed some regret, while 34% reported moderate to high regret. Your loss may not be as great as these folks, but the regret of not investing in something revolutionary still stings a lot.
The fact is that the AI revolution started with intensity a few years ago, but it’s still very much in its early stages. That means you have the opportunity to not make the same mistake twice. In this article, let’s find out three interesting ways that you can start investing in AI for the best returns down the line.
1) Invest in the Literal Sense
We’ll be getting into practical things you can do soon, but this first point is particularly important. The first thing you should be doing is considering AI in your financial portfolio. As of today, any of the major tech companies in the world would be easy choices. NVIDIA, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are all heavily investing in AI right now and will likely see massive returns soon.
However, you also have to deal with expensive share prices and the other issues that come with investing in large companies. Meanwhile, trying to predict which up-and-coming startup will become a major player is also too risky. This brings us to the second option, which is to simply invest in the S&P 500. There are several good reasons for this.
Firstly, any minor tech company that makes huge growth in an AI boom will also be featured in the S&P 500.
Secondly, an AI boom will likely cause massive growth in most major companies. A McKinsey survey reported that 78% of organizations were using AI in at least one business function as of 2024, up from 55% the previous year, demonstrating a significant uptick in AI integration across industries.
Thus, you get to reap the growth of all of them instead of betting all your chips on the big five. But that’s enough financial investment talk; let’s explore some practical, immediate ways you can invest in AI.
2) Become an AI Influencer on Instagram/YouTube
Right now, there are thousands of new channels and pages being created across multiple social media platforms. Data from The Business Research Company shows that the AI-powered content creation is projected to become a $7.4 billion market by 2029.
Your daily feed on social media testifies to these statistics. On Instagram, you’ve got people making AI-generated “Rome in 22 BC” reels. On YouTube, you’ve got narration channels that use AI voices to tell stories. Simply put, everywhere you look, there’s content being made with AI services.
As Hocoos notes, you even have the option of creating your own website with the help of AI-based templates. Previously, this was a tiresome and expensive process that required an experienced web developer and expensive hosting. So, what should you be considering?
Well, the best place to start would be along the lines of things you’re already passionate about. Maybe you don’t want to put yourself at the mercy of YouTube’s algorithm and prefer something you’re in control of. That’s perfectly doable. Simply pick a niche that appeals to you and watch how AI content helps you attract a following that leads to brand deals and sponsorships.
3) Use AI to Create and Sell Courses
One of the most defining features of the internet is the ridiculously expansive amount of educational course material available. Take a look at Udemy, one of many places you can host a course. Their 2024 report lists content costs (which likely includes instructor payouts) as a whopping $294.6 million. If you can tap into that niche, you’re in for a steady income.
Now, the beautiful thing about AI is that it’s a massive compensator for skill issues, as Gen-Z would term it. So, if you have a great idea in your head but you’re bad at writing and structuring things, AI can help you with that. You could come up with a self-help course based on your own struggles and successes. This is unironically one of the better ways to make money online.
Simply create a rough explanation in your own words and ask ChatGPT how you can flesh it out into a 5-Day course or even a newsletter. If you suddenly feel like selling AI-generated courses is a morally grey area, remember, you’re not relying on AI for everything.
Even if AI models were currently good enough to provide amazing insights, you would still want to do some things manually. That’s what brings the human element, which will be key to attracting subscribers.
At the end of the day, AI is one of those things that you can roll your eyes at right now. However, imagine your regret 20 years or 50 years from now. Your future children and grandchildren might wonder why you didn’t take advantage when you lived through the birth of AI like Uncle Ben did. Ouch.
