Why Your AI Art Isn't Selling (and never will)

Brad Colbow
19 Jun 202308:18

TLDRThe video discusses the misconceptions about making money using AI, highlighting the story of a Sci-Fi author who earned nearly $2000 by writing 97 books with Chat GPT, but clarifies that this equates to a low hourly wage. It contrasts this with the story of entrepreneurs who made significant profits by leveraging Amazon's Merch by Amazon service, emphasizing the importance of building a brand rather than merely producing content. The video argues that a strong brand, built on quality experiences and products, is key to long-term success, rather than quick, AI-generated profits.

Takeaways

  • 📈 AI and automation are transforming industries, but success isn't as simple as it seems.
  • 🚀 The allure of AI is in its potential to generate income with minimal effort, but reality often differs.
  • 📖 A Sci-Fi author has made nearly $2000 by writing 97 books using Chat GPT, averaging $2.94 per hour.
  • 🤔 The misconception that AI is a shortcut to wealth is widespread, but it overlooks the importance of strategy and branding.
  • 💡 Building a brand is crucial; it's not just about the product but the experience and value it brings to customers.
  • 🎨 Art and content created without a personal touch may not resonate with audiences as much as branded, meaningful work.
  • 💼 The story of Merch by Amazon illustrates the pitfalls of a saturated market with low barriers to entry.
  • 📉 When everyone can participate, the value of individual contributions decreases, leading to a race to the bottom.
  • 🌟 Successful brands like Nintendo have built their reputation on consistent, positive experiences over time.
  • 🛍️ The key to making money with AI or any technology is to offer something people truly want and to build a connection with them.
  • 📈 The future of content creation is likely to be dominated by AI, but the quality and impact of that content will vary greatly.

Q & A

  • What is the main message of the video regarding using AI to make money?

    -The main message is that trying to make a lot of money using AI, especially in saturated markets, is not a realistic goal and often leads to producing low-quality content.

  • How much money did the Sci-Fi author make per hour by writing 97 books using Chat GPT?

    -The author made approximately 2.94 cents per hour, considering the six to eight hours spent on each book.

  • What was the new service introduced by Amazon that the speaker discussed at the conference?

    -The new service was called 'Merch by Amazon,' a print-on-demand service that allowed entrepreneurs to sell t-shirts without inventory or printing costs.

  • What happened to the market for print-on-demand t-shirts on Amazon as more people gained access to the service?

    -The market became saturated, with an influx of low-quality and spam t-shirts, leading to a decrease in profits for those using the service.

  • What is the speaker's main takeaway from their experience with Merch by Amazon?

    -The speaker realized the importance of building their own brand rather than coasting on others' brands and the value of creating quality content and experiences for customers.

  • How does the speaker suggest one should approach building a brand?

    -The speaker suggests that building a brand involves creating quality content, products, and experiences that resonate with customers and consistently delivering value over time.

  • What was the impact of the Nintendo brand on the success of the Mario movie?

    -The success of the Mario movie was largely due to the strong positive associations people had with the Nintendo brand, leading to high expectations and a willingness to support the franchise.

  • What does the speaker recommend for artists and creators looking to sell their work?

    -The speaker recommends focusing on building a personal brand and sharing their creative process, as well as connecting with customers on a personal level to gain support and sales.

  • How does the video relate the historical significance of the printing press to modern technology?

    -The video suggests that just as the printing press revolutionized content creation and distribution, modern technologies like AI, print-on-demand, and smartphones are also transforming the way we produce and consume content.

  • What features does Squarespace offer for businesses looking to sell products online?

    -Squarespace offers an all-in-one platform for building a website, creating an online store, and selling physical, digital, or service products. It provides seamless payment options, analytics tools for business growth, and a user-friendly interface.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 The Illusion of AI Wealth: A Critical Perspective

This paragraph discusses the misconception that AI, like Chat GPT, can be a get-rich-quick scheme. It highlights the story of a Sci-Fi author who has written 97 books using AI and earned nearly two thousand dollars, but the reality is that this income is meager compared to the time invested. The paragraph emphasizes that the allure of AI for making money is misguided, as the market becomes saturated with AI-generated content, leading to devaluation. It shares a personal anecdote about the speaker's experience at a conference, where they witnessed the rise and fall of a print-on-demand service due to oversaturation. The key takeaway is the importance of building a personal brand rather than relying on AI to create value.

05:01

🎨 Building a Brand, Not Just Selling Products

The second paragraph focuses on the importance of brand building over mere content production. It questions the value of producing large quantities of AI-generated books or art, emphasizing that without a strong brand, these products are worthless. The speaker shares their own journey of building a brand through consistent, honest content creation and engagement with their audience. The paragraph also discusses the power of a strong brand using Nintendo as an example, illustrating how a positive brand experience can lead to significant success. The message is clear: technology may change, but the need to create products that people want and to build a meaningful brand remains constant.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Squarespace

Squarespace is an all-in-one platform mentioned in the video as a sponsor. It is designed for building a brand and growing a business online, providing tools to create websites and sell products or services. In the context of the video, Squarespace is presented as a solution for those looking to establish an online presence and expand their business ventures.

💡Chat GPT

Chat GPT is an AI technology that is used for generating human-like text based on given prompts. In the video, it is mentioned as a tool that a Sci-Fi author used to write 97 books, illustrating the potential of AI in content creation. However, the video also critiques the over-reliance on AI for creating content without building a personal brand or offering unique value.

💡AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the video, AI is discussed as a tool that can be used for various purposes, such as writing novels or creating art. However, the speaker warns against the misconception that AI is a get-rich-quick scheme and emphasizes the importance of using AI responsibly and as part of a larger brand strategy.

💡Merchandising

Merchandising, specifically 'merch by Amazon' in the video, refers to the business of selling branded merchandise, often through print-on-demand services. The video discusses the initial success of entrepreneurs using Amazon's merchandising service to sell t-shirts without inventory or printing costs. However, it also highlights the eventual market saturation and the decline in profitability due to the low barrier to entry and copyright infringements.

💡Branding

Branding is the process of creating a unique name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product or service from others in the market. In the video, the importance of building a strong brand is emphasized as a key to long-term success, rather than merely relying on AI or other tools to generate content. A strong brand is built on positive experiences, quality products, and consistent messaging.

💡Market Saturation

Market saturation occurs when a market is flooded with too many similar products or services, leading to increased competition and often a decline in profitability for the participants. In the video, the concept is used to describe the negative consequences of a large number of people using AI to create and sell content, leading to a devaluation of the work and a decrease in its perceived value.

💡Print on Demand

Print on Demand is a business model and technology used in the publishing and merchandising industries where products, such as t-shirts or books, are printed only when an order is received. This allows for the sale of products without the need for holding inventory or incurring printing costs upfront. The video discusses the initial success and subsequent challenges faced by entrepreneurs using print-on-demand services like Amazon's 'merch by Amazon'.

💡Copyright Infringement

Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the rights exclusively granted to the copyright holder for a given work. In the video, this concept is discussed in the context of people gaming the system on Amazon by creating t-shirts with designs that closely resemble copyrighted material, but without using the exact brand names or logos.

💡Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are individuals who organize and operate a business or enterprise, often with considerable initiative and risk. In the video, the term is used to describe the small business folks and individuals who attended the conference and utilized services like 'merch by Amazon' to generate income. The speaker contrasts their approach with the idea of building a sustainable brand.

💡Content Creation

Content creation refers to the process of producing various forms of content, such as written, visual, or audio material, to communicate with an audience. In the video, content creation is discussed in the context of using AI technologies like Chat GPT to generate books, art, and other media. The speaker argues that content creation should be part of a larger strategy to build a brand and offer unique value.

💡Brand Experience

Brand experience refers to the sum of all interactions and perceptions a customer has with a brand, which shapes their overall impression and relationship with it. In the video, the concept is used to emphasize the importance of creating positive and memorable experiences that contribute to building a strong and recognizable brand, as opposed to merely producing a large volume of content.

Highlights

The video discusses the earning potential of using AI to write Sci-Fi books, revealing that one author made nearly two thousand dollars by writing 97 books with chat GPT.

The author's earnings equate to approximately 2.94 cents per hour, highlighting the unrealistic expectations people have about making money with AI.

The speaker shares a personal story of attending a conference focused on t-shirt design and the launch of 'merch by Amazon', a print-on-demand service.

Initially, 'merch by Amazon' was only open to a select group of Amazon sellers, leading to significant earnings for those involved.

As Amazon opened up the service to the public, the market became saturated, leading to a decrease in profits for t-shirt sellers.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of building a brand rather than just making money off of others' brands or using AI to produce content without substance.

The speaker's experience at the conference led to a career inflection point, deciding to build their own brand instead of coasting on others' success.

The video argues that anyone can produce content with AI, but it's the brand and the experiences associated with it that truly hold value.

The speaker uses Nintendo as an example of a strong brand built on positive experiences, leading to the successful release of the Mario movie.

The video stresses that creating content with AI is not a get-rich-quick scheme and that building a brand takes time and consistent effort.

The speaker shares their personal journey of building a brand by creating content and gradually improving over time.

Artists who share their creative process on social media gain followers not just for their art, but also for their story and experiences.

The video suggests that people buy art not only because they like it but also because they want to support the artist behind it.

The importance of creating something that people actually want is emphasized, regardless of the technology used.

The video concludes with a sponsorship message for Squarespace, an all-in-one platform for building websites and selling products online.

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