5 profitable AI businesses you can start today
Lasse Linnes
Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from novelty to necessity, with businesses worldwide racing to integrate AI into their operations. Right now, we’re still seeing early adopters take advantage, but this shift is about to go mainstream.
The potential for AI to reshape industries and create entirely new revenue streams is undeniable. The time is now.
Lasse Linnes is founder of Insidr.ai, a platform and community that helps businesses implement AI to save time and optimize profits, through AI consulting and practical AI education. The Insidr.ai directory has over 500 hand-picked AI tools across 78 categories, including content creation, customer support and automation. Insidr.ai has grown a community of over 70,000 subscribers, with the platform reaching over 300,000 visitors monthly.
Linnes sees which new AI businesses are gaining fast traction, and knows which approaches are here to stay. Here are five ways to turn AI trends into a profitable business.
Five ways to build a profitable AI business in 2024
Start an AI automation agency
An AI automation agency works directly with companies to integrate AI into their existing workflows. You’ll help clients automate repetitive tasks, improve decision-making with data-driven insights, and unlock new efficiency gains, cost savings, and productivity boosts.
“Companies are often aware of AI’s potential but lack the know-how to implement it effectively,” Linnes explains. By creating tailored AI solutions, you bridge this gap, helping businesses save time and resources.
Companies are desperate for help with their automations. Get started in AI by reaching out to small or mid-sized businesses that need workflow improvements, offering a pilot project to show how AI can make a difference.
Offer AI marketing services
An AI marketing agency elevates and enhances clients’ marketing strategies through artificial intelligence. You’ll help businesses automate content creation, sort lead generation, and fine-tune conversion tactics based on real-time data and insights. With the right approach, you’ll optimize customer engagement and drive measurable results. It’s meaningful work.
According to Linnes, AI marketing brings unmatched precision to targeting, the advantage being that, “AI can make marketing more personal and effective at scale.” By delivering personalized ad campaigns and AI-driven customer journey mapping, you make it easier for clients to reach their goals.
It’s also an easy sell. Target businesses spending heavily on human-powered agencies and show them how much more efficient AI can be. Focus on a specific niche, like e-commerce or healthcare, where you can use AI to deliver targeted results quickly.
Offer AI chatbot services
AI-powered chatbots have become essential for businesses aiming to improve customer support and streamline service. Starting an AI chatbot service lets you design, deploy, and manage chatbots that serve different industries, from retail to finance to hospitality.
“The value of chatbots is that they’re always on, providing immediate assistance to customers,” Linnes points out. By building chatbots to handle routine queries, you free up human agents for complex issues, improving overall customer satisfaction.
Begin by creating a sample chatbot using a tool like Google Dialogflow, then partner with a local business to showcase how it enhances customer service. Collect testimonials, then get more clients.
Develop AI content creation services
AI-driven content creation is a growing field, with businesses keen to produce high-quality content faster and at a lower cost. Offering AI content services helps companies generate SEO-optimized articles, marketing copy, and social media content that aligns with their brand. Using content production tools, you can keep clients’ demand met without compromising quality.
“AI content is a game-changer for scaling content marketing efforts,” says Linnes. With customizable content creation options, you support clients in producing high-quality material tailored to their audience, from blog posts to product descriptions.
Learn how to prompt, then use a tool like ChatGPT or Claude to generate content. Edit until it’s publish-ready, then build a portfolio of sample content across industries and offer short term trials to early clients.
Launch an AI SaaS company
An AI tool or software-as-a-service (SaaS) business lets you create a branded, scalable product used across industries. Whether it’s a tool for data analysis, workflow automation, or productivity enhancement, SaaS platforms provide continuous value to users while generating recurring revenue for you.
Linnes sees this as a high-potential option for those with tech expertise. “The beauty of SaaS is that you’re creating something people use daily,” he says. You can build a tool from scratch or white-label an existing AI solution, rebranding it and marketing it to a niche audience.
Identify your potential niche, gather initial feedback from prospective customers, then create a landing page and build a waitlist. Don’t start building before you’ve validated your business idea.
Making AI work for you: 5 profitable AI businesses to start today
The possibilities for building a profitable AI business are vast, and the market is ready. Whether it’s through automation, marketing, customer engagement, content creation, or developing a SaaS tool, AI-driven businesses are solving real problems and creating value across industries.
The window of opportunity to establish expertise and build a brand is wide open. Start with a clear vision and choose the right AI business model to tap into this demand, positioning yourself at the forefront of a technology that’s transforming the way businesses operate. Provide clients with smart, practical solutions that simplify their work and open up new avenues for growth.
