Tim Boucher, an American-Canadian author, writes science fiction with the help of ChatGPT and Claude AI, a system akin to ChatGPT created by a team linked to OpenAI alumni. Since August 2022, he has published 96 short stories ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 words, and he notes that these works are finding a steadily growing, albeit niche, readership in both the United States and Canada.
Sales data show that nearly 600 copies of these stories were sold in under a year, yielding about $2,000 in revenue. In addition to AI-assisted text, Boucher uses the Midjourney neural network to generate illustrations. Each story features 40 to 140 images crafted on request, a process that takes six to eight hours per book.
An employee named Ben described in April 2023 how ChatGPT helped cover roughly 80% of his job duties, enabling him to take on a second role while boosting income. While Ben did not disclose his exact position or employer, he noted responsibilities included drafting reports and presentations.
He began experimenting with ChatGPT at the end of 2022 and admits he could not have imagined having time for a second job back then, given the effort required for the first. Over time, he adapted the system to his needs and found time to earn extra money. He now says ChatGPT even drafted responses for him in business chats with bosses, and he knows several colleagues who have had similar experiences.
Popular American blogger Karyn Marjorie, who has amassed nearly 2 million Snapchat followers, launched Forever Voices, a project built on the GPT-4 language model powering the CarinAI chatbot. The bot operates via the Telegram messenger and can reply with text or voice. In voice mode, the neural network generates messages using samples of Marjorie’s own voice. Marjorie created CarinAI after realizing she could not personally reply to all fans in private chats without spending five to six hours daily.
She believes the chatbot will satisfy most fans, noting CarinAI’s lack of prejudice: it can discuss everyday plans as well as intimate fantasies. According to Marjorie, the service monetizes at one dollar per minute through paid access, and CarinAI banks a substantial income, with reports that a digital twin earned more than $100,000 in a single week. The exact cost to develop CarinAI was not disclosed.
British brand designer Jackson Fall chose to launch a venture with ChatGPT, asking for a business plan for a Green Gadget Guru project with a modest budget cap of $100. ChatGPT proposed a storefront focused on eco-friendly products, highlighting high margins and relatively low competition as reasons for the selection. Fall followed the plan, covering domain purchase and hosting ($15), building a website with AI assistance, launching on social networks for $40, and leveraging free tools for search engine visibility. Fall later discussed the project on Twitter, noting negotiations that could have led to a $25,000 sale.
Whether the deal closed remains unclear; since March 2023, Fall has not reported a sale. Still, the initiative helped him garner more than 100,000 Twitter followers and maintain a presence as a guest on YouTube programs and podcasts.
Realtor JJ Johannes has integrated AI into his routine after several years in the business. He now uses AI to draft descriptions for properties he markets, typically a task dominated by formulaic text. While the algorithm isn’t flawless at every nuance, it saves significant time on repetitive work. Johannes plans to continue using AI to craft listings and social media content, balancing automation with his personal touch.
In early 2023, Finder, an Australian company, asked ChatGPT to assemble an investment portfolio of 38 stocks and consulted ten professional investors from renowned entities such as Interactive Investor, Fundsmith Equity, and Vanguard funds to compare AI-assisted analysis with professional brokers. The eight-week experiment showed the ChatGPT portfolio rising 4.9%, while the mutual fund portfolios gained, on average, 0.8%. Finder observed that AI follows similar principles to those used by seasoned brokers when selecting securities. During the study, Finder also asked its audience about using AI for stock selection; about 8% already used neural networks for these tasks with positive results, and 19% indicated they would consider AI assistance soon.
Across these narratives lies a shared insight: AI tools are increasingly adopted to augment productivity, scale creative output, and streamline routine tasks across fields in North America. The examples reveal a trend toward AI-assisted entrepreneurship, marketing, and investment analysis, with measurable financial implications and evolving ethical considerations. The stories collectively illustrate how individuals adapt AI as a collaborator rather than a replacement, leveraging it to enhance efficiency, engagement, and reach in diverse markets and audiences. The practical takeaway is clear: AI can unlock new capabilities, but human oversight, creativity, and strategic judgment remain essential for sustainable success. [citation attribution: industry reports and case studies summarized for this article]