Exploring Innovative Online Side Hustles with AI Art
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Here’s an additional online side hustle I'm eager to explore.
You Don't Need to Be an Artist to Create Marketable Art
Earlier this year, I shared my enthusiasm for a particular side hustle that I plan to pursue.
Instead of selling print-on-demand shirts, I’m venturing into a more advanced online side hustle.
If It's Not Lucrative, I'll Still Enjoy It
I'm currently working on this and will provide an update in May when my initial sample orders arrive.
While I await my prototypes, I've come across something else that piques my interest!
The Side Hustle That Takes Care of the Hard Work for You
By now, you may have heard of AI writing tools, which significantly ease the writing process. Programs like Jasper, Rytr, and Nichesss can produce listicles, advertising copy, product descriptions, and draft blog posts.
I own a lifetime license for Nichesss, which I obtained through AppSumo. I often utilize it to create short texts for Pinterest pins or product descriptions.
To illustrate what AI writers can do, here’s an introduction to a blog post generated by Nichesss using just the title "How to make money writing on Medium".
While this draft isn't ready for immediate use, it can inspire ideas and alleviate the stress of starting with a blank page.
But Hold On, This Isn't Just About AI Text Generators
I’m actually more intrigued by a different kind of AI.
While I appreciate writing AI, my excitement lies in AI that can create art.
Take a look at these!
The most remarkable project I’ve encountered for generating AI art is DALL-E by OpenAI.
DALL-E has reached its second version, DALL-E 2, which is even more impressive. This trained AI can produce images and artwork based on natural language descriptions.
Suddenly, you can transform your concepts into visual art without needing to master painting or Photoshop.
Let’s explore some AI-generated art produced by DALL-E 2:
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Aren't these astonishing? It's hard to believe AI can achieve this!
Unfortunately, DALL-E 2 is not yet publicly accessible, but I’m on the waitlist and can’t wait to give it a try.
You can learn more about DALL-E 2 and join the waitlist here: https://openai.com/dall-e-2/
The licensing for AI-generated art remains unclear to me, but I hope there will be a commercial plan allowing image usage.
AI Art Generators Available Now
I’m sure I haven’t discovered all existing tools, but here are some that I’ve tried.
Artbreeder
Artbreeder is an AI platform that allows you to use AI-generated images for commercial purposes. You can "breed" images and modify their attributes, or create variations based on two "parent" images.
Here’s an example where I merged an uploaded public domain image with one of Artbreeder's portraits:
And here’s some landscaping work I’ve done:
I could spend hours on this! In fact, I might have just done that over the Easter weekend.
Here’s a completed landscape I downloaded:
Artbreeder does have some limitations regarding the types of images it can work with; currently, it only accepts landscapes and portraits.
Moreover, any uploaded images will be altered to fit the AI’s requirements, similar to a "cookie-cutter" method based on the Artbreeder neural network’s familiarity.
You can use Artbreeder for free, but image uploads and download resolutions are limited. Free downloads are restricted to 512px, while a subscription allows for 2048px downloads. A $9/month subscription provides higher resolution downloads and additional benefits.
Text-to-Image AI Art Generators
While Artbreeder has its constraints, text-based image generators like DALL-E offer immense potential.
Current options may not be very user-friendly and might intimidate non-programmers, but the results are remarkable.
Here’s one that doesn’t directly show the generated image but allows you to experiment yourself:
The above examples were created with WOMBO Dream — currently, you can only order prints of your creations, but there’s a preview feature suggesting that NFT minting may be possible soon.
Google Colab Notebooks with VQGAN/CLIP
For those comfortable with coding, I recommend checking out this tutorial from the A.I. expert on YouTube about creating AI art using a text-to-image generator in Google Colab. While WOMBO Dream has limited customization options, you can achieve much more with this method.
So, What Exactly Is the Side Hustle?
Now, envision the possibilities with AI-generated art:
- Create stunning designs for print-on-demand without being an artist — this is my plan.
- Sell NFTs (I know opinions are mixed). I might explore this.
- Launch a Fiverr gig offering abstract art.
However, there’s a significant issue: Most AI generators produce low-resolution images unsuitable for posters or large print-on-demand products, necessitating additional work to enhance the resolution. I haven’t found the best solution yet, but I’ll keep investigating.
And There’s More to Come
It doesn’t stop with images; there is AI that can generate videos. While the results can be trippy and somewhat random, in a few years, the ability to create usable videos might be achievable.
In the future, it should also be possible to generate 3D models or convert created images into 3D formats.
I understand this level of AI raises some concerns. While I don’t believe AI will take over the world or pose a threat to humanity, discerning reality from digital creations is becoming increasingly difficult. The spread of misinformation will likely intensify.
As a creative individual, I find the possibilities exhilarating. I plan to experiment with several tools and open a print-on-demand store featuring AI art. I’ll keep you updated on my progress!
Are you concerned about the advancements in AI? Or are you enthusiastic about them? What are your thoughts? Do you think any of these creations are worth purchasing?
Share your insights in the comments!
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