How To Make Money With AI Images In 2024

Last Updated on February 4, 2023 by John Cirelly

Contrary to popular belief, being an artist can be lucrative. While some artists may worry about losing clients and jobs due to the rise of AI in the creative industry, it also presents new opportunities and job openings. Embracing technology is crucial in this rapidly evolving field, as ignoring it is not a viable option.

How To Make Money With AI Images

There are numerous ways to monetize AI art, and there’s no better time than now. Let’s explore how to make money with AI images:

1. Create Children’s Books

Leverage AI to illustrate a children’s book that aligns with your area of expertise, such as a running book if you run a blog on running. For example, the main characters can discuss the benefits and effort of running.

You can also create a children’s book that aligns with your profession, such as a dietician compiling a book of foods listed alphabetically.

Use AI to generate engaging images for your story and publish it as a print-on-demand book using platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing. The possibilities are endless, as long as the story aligns with your interests.

2. NFT Creation

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have gained immense popularity in recent times. These are unique digital assets that can be bought, sold, or traded, with each NFT holding a distinct value. As an AI artist, you can create limited NFTs of your artwork and sell them online to fans and collectors.

3. Print on Demand

Selling your AI artwork on various products, such as t-shirts, stickers, and coffee mugs, is possible with the help of print-on-demand companies like Printful, Printify, and Redbubble. Simply select the products you want to sell your artwork on, upload your artwork, and set the prices for those items.

You have the option of selling through your own website or through online marketplaces like Etsy. For instance, I tested selling comical t-shirts as a print-on-demand product with Printful, but ultimately decided not to sell them in my Etsy shop as the material was too thin for my preference.

4. Commission-based Artwork 

Capitalize on the growing popularity of AI art by offering custom-commissioned pieces. If you have the skills to create unique AI artwork, consider offering personalized works to clients.

Start by creating a web-based questionnaire for clients to provide their specifications. You can also set up a shop on Etsy or similar platforms to receive orders. Partner with local businesses that may be interested in displaying AI artwork related to their industry on their walls.

For example, a women’s gym could be interested in purchasing body-positive prints for their facility. You can take their ideas, bring them to life with AI, and charge them for the digital files.

If you offer social media management services, you can also use AI-generated photos for posting on different digital platforms. Use the clients’ ideas as inputs for AI generators when they want specific designs on their shirts or garments.

Provide a portfolio of the generated photos for them to choose their final design. Applications like ZMO Remover can also be used to crop out unwanted parts of existing photos.

5. Stock Photography

If you want to sell your AI artwork as stock photography, you’ll need to build a portfolio of your work. Platforms such as Shutterstock, Freepik, Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay are great places to start. You may consider starting with Shutterstock, as they have recently partnered with OpenAI, the company behind Dall-E, to provide their users with direct access to Dall-E 2.

Stock photography typically earns around $0.03 per image per month, based on the number of purchases. However, some stock image websites, such as Getty Images, have banned the sale of AI-generated artwork. It’s important to check each website’s content policy before uploading your work.

If you prefer an alternative method, you could also sell collections of AI-generated stock photos. You could offer a collection of 25 to 50 images tailored to a specific audience for a small fee, or even offer a smaller collection as a freebie in exchange for email sign-ups.

Bloggers and content creators are potential targets, but “ordinary” people may also be interested in a collection of AI-generated photos transformed into humorous quotes or wall art.

6. Selling Prompts

You don’t have to limit yourself to just selling AI-generated works. With the arrival of PromptBase in the AI art market, you can monetize your knowledge in creating AI art. PromptBase is a marketplace that sells specific text descriptions that can be input into an AI art generator to produce the desired results. 

These descriptions are not generic terms like “anime” or “nail art,” but rather comprehensive descriptions that include the artwork’s style and elements of a scene. The buyer is also given the option to add additional details for a more personalized outcome. 

For every prompt sold, PromptBase takes a 20% commission. The seller retains the copyright to their work, and the remaining money earned from selling prompts is considered the seller’s income.

7. Children’s Books

Leverage AI to illustrate a children’s book that aligns with your area of expertise, such as a running book if you have a blog on running. For example, the main characters can discuss the benefits and fun of running.

You can also create a children’s book that aligns with your profession, such as a dietician compiling a book of foods listed alphabetically. Use AI to generate engaging images for your story and publish it as a print-on-demand book using platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing. The possibilities are endless, as long as the story aligns with your young readers!

8. Teaching Others

You don’t actually need to be an artist to make money with ai images. If you have a lot of knowledge and expertise in AI art or writing tools, speaking engagements could be a lucrative option for you.

Consider speaking at conferences, webinars, or even local clubs and organizations. Or, create an online course where others can learn about AI in the visual arts. And don’t forget about writing about it too, just like I’m doing now with my limited knowledge!

Wrap Up

Although the field of artificial intelligence art is still in its initial stages, there are already a number of creative ways to establish streams of income. It’s the perfect time to dive in and begin experimenting; you never know, you might turn out to be the AI equivalent of Picasso.