Why Your AI Art Isn't Selling (and never will)
Science & Technology
Why Your AI Art Isn't Selling (and never will)
Sponsored by Squarespace, the all-in-one platform for building your brand and growing your business online.
Stay tuned until the end of this article to learn more.
In a recent Newsweek article, a Sci-Fi author claimed to have written 97 books using ChatGPT and made nearly $ 2000 doing it. While that might sound appealing, a closer analysis reveals the harsh reality: he’s earning just about 2.94 cents an hour. This is the siren song of AI—a promise of easy money that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
Years ago, I was invited to a conference focused on designing t-shirts. There, entrepreneurs were excited about a new Amazon service called Merch by Amazon, which allowed anyone to upload t-shirt designs with no overhead costs. Early adopters made tens of thousands of dollars a month, but as the service opened up to the general public, the market became flooded, and earnings plummeted.
The takeaway? No barrier to entry means anyone can try, leading to market saturation and diminishing returns. You can’t make significant money off a commodity that anyone can produce, which is exactly what’s happening with AI-generated content.
To illustrate, think about making t-shirts. Initially, merchants made a lot of money, but as more people joined, many resorted to gaming the system with copyright-adjacent designs. This led Amazon to deprioritize these products, making it even harder to make money. Those who succeeded weren’t the ones who cut corners; they were the ones who invested in quality, hired real designers, and built legitimate partnerships.
The key takeaway? If you want to make money, you need to invest in quality and build a brand, not chase get-rich-quick schemes. Your brand is not just a logo or avatar; it’s the culmination of every experience someone has with your content or product. Take Nintendo, for example. The success of the Mario movie wasn’t because it was a great film but because it fulfilled what people expect from the Nintendo brand—a brand built over decades.
Building a brand takes time and consistency. So before you think about cranking out 97 AI-written books, ask yourself what those books say about your brand. Are you entertaining your audience or just trying to cash in quickly?
Technology will always change—AI, print on demand, the internet—but the value of quality work remains constant. If you’re merely using AI to churn out content, know that you’re in an oversaturated market producing mostly junk.
This is why Squarespace is invaluable for anyone hoping to build a real brand. Squarespace allows you to create a professional website, sell products, and even track your business analytics—all tools necessary to build and sustain a legitimate business.
Keywords
- AI-generated content
- Market saturation
- Branding
- Merch by Amazon
- Quality investment
- Technology changes
- Squarespace
FAQs
Q: How much money can I realistically earn with AI-generated content?
A: The market is already oversaturated, making it difficult to earn significant money. Quality investment and brand building are essential for higher returns.
Q: Why did Merch by Amazon's earnings plummet?
A: The lack of barriers to entry led to market flooding and decreased quality, prompting Amazon to deprioritize these products.
Q: What is the key to building a successful brand?
A: Consistency in quality and creating positive experiences over time are crucial to building a trustworthy and successful brand.
Q: Can anyone be successful using AI tools?
A: While anyone can use AI tools, those who invest in quality and build a brand are more likely to see success.
Q: How can Squarespace help in building a brand?
A: Squarespace offers tools for creating a professional website, selling products, and tracking business analytics, all of which are essential for brand building.