I’m not looking for some quick way to get rich. I just want some guidance from someone who knows what they’re doing. Maybe after a year or two of hard work, I could become valuable or something. I think it’s going to be a while before AI fully takes over, but I believe people who don’t understand how it works will quickly be replaced by those who do. I follow a lot of AI forums, I spend time practicing debugging my AI projects, and I watch YouTube videos. I’m 22, I make okay money living in a high-cost area, but I don’t have a career or a college degree yet. Some people think my AI hobby is a joke, but I believe the key to success is automating things to be as efficient as possible. Why would I want to rely on humans when AI can help me do the work? This is what I’m focusing on learning. But older, wiser people, can you point me in the right direction to make real money?
I know AI is a tool, and before AI, I had no interest in coding. But now, with AI’s help, I’ve learned how to build websites and do some pretty crazy things. You give it a prompt, and it gives you code. Sometimes the code doesn’t work right, and I spend hours searching through forums trying to figure out how to fix it. I’m also learning how to be better at jobs that involve Excel, KPIs, sales strategies, etc., but I’m afraid I’m wasting my time.
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I’m not joking. There’s so much to learn about starting your own business—choosing the right product or service, figuring out how to market, setting prices, registering your business, and understanding the legal side. Today’s AI models know it all. It would take hours to go over everything, but you don’t need to learn it all upfront. You can pick things up as you go. To get started, sit down with AI for a couple of hours. Tell it you want to start a business but don’t know where to begin, and ask for step-by-step guidance.
Be clear that you want to start a business that can financially support you, so you’re looking for practical advice on how to succeed, including risks and how to manage them.
I think in the next 3 years, companies will start paying more for people who can use code and AI tools in their work. So, focusing on data science (math and coding) while learning about other industries is a good bet. Marketing and accounting are common fields, but some industries have more specialized roles.
If you want to focus on engineering, that knowledge will still be useful, and some companies may welcome it. The hard part is getting hired, because more people are getting educated, and companies can ask for more qualified candidates even for entry-level roles. That’s why building a strong portfolio of personal projects that show off your skills is a great way to stand out.
Don’t expect to make good money just because you know how to use generative AI. It’s not the most widespread form of AI, and it’s likely going to be integrated into products that don’t need much user knowledge (like ChatGPT, Office Copilot, Photoshop, Salesforce features, etc.).
However, if you know how to develop AI solutions or tools that work well with AI, you’ll be in high demand. But that requires a computer science background.
You’ll need to get good at math and reasoning—stuff like geometric proofs and integrals from calculus. It’s always changing, so who knows what will be in demand six months from now.
You can focus on the 2-3 most common ways AI is used in businesses:
AI for document processing: Many people still spend their days copying and pasting data from emails, spreadsheets, or documents to old systems. AI can automate this.
AI for customer service: AI can help with answering questions or providing info from documents or systems.
AI for data analysis: Most companies collect data but don’t use it. AI can help turn that data into useful information.
All of these are things LLMs can help with, but it’ll take 5-10 years before these become common in many companies.
It sounds like you’re on the right track! AI is a valuable skill, and your approach to learning coding, automation, and Excel is smart. To make money, you could look into freelance opportunities on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, where you can offer your skills in automating tasks, building websites, or even helping businesses with data analysis. It’s also worth exploring roles in tech, like data analysis, AI development, or sales where you can use your knowledge. Keep learning, building your portfolio, and networking—it’ll pay off eventually!