Nine AI-powered business ideas to start in 2023

Executive overview

The 2023 AI boom mirrors past tech shifts where early movers built large media and software businesses. Most of these ideas require no coding — just distribution, hustle, and the right tools.

The real opportunity is selling picks and shovels during a gold rush, not chasing the gold.

AI media and education

• Start a newsletter or Twitter account covering AI tools — Ben Tossell built 20k subscribers and 80k Twitter followers in 14 weeks
• Monetise with advertising; even 1,000 engaged subscribers attracts AI company ad spend
• Create courses teaching ChatGPT and OpenAI use cases — specific, practical courses command premium pricing
• Apply the law of 100: commit to 100 posts or 100 days before evaluating traction

Content and SEO services

• Start a content remixer agency — use tools like repurpose.io (~$50/month) to repurpose long-form content across platforms
• Target smaller creators (under 100k subs); send sample repurposed content instead of a cold pitch
• Launch an SEO agency powered by AI copywriting tools (Copy.ai, Jasper, Word Hero)
• Focus on local businesses — less competition than tech niches; start free to build referrals

Marketplace and arbitrage plays

• Service arbitrage on Fiverr: automate services like business naming or logo creation using AI, fulfil manually-priced gigs at near-zero cost
• Build an AppSumo-style marketplace for AI tools — aggregate deals from tool creators, negotiate 50/50 revenue splits, use bundle promotions to drive initial buyers
• Find AI tool creators on sites like theresanaiforthat.com

Developer partnerships and affiliate sites

• Partner with a developer by securing customers and money first — momentum makes recruiting technical co-founders far easier
• Find builders on AppSumo who have made underexposed products and pitch them with existing traction
• Build AI-assisted affiliate websites targeting high-commission keywords (e.g. mattresses, tech hardware); use AI to generate and rank content at scale
• Add a human editorial layer to AI-generated social or affiliate content to maintain quality