A recent viral experiment has seen a brand designer named Jackson Greathouse Fall using OpenAI’s GPT-4 chatbot to start an online business.
Despite the common sense notion that taking advice from an AI chatbot might not be the wisest move, Fall instructed the chatbot, which he dubbed HustleGPT, to turn $100 into as much money as possible, in the shortest possible time, without breaking the law.
Fall’s first move was to follow HustleGPT’s advice to set up an affiliate marketing site focused on sustainable living and eco-friendly products, which he called GreenGadgetGuru.com. HustleGPT also advised him to use OpenAI’s AI image generator, DALL-E, to create a logo for the site, which proved more than serviceable.
Moreover, the bot advised him to spend $40 on targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram, which led to $1,378.84 in investments from Twitter followers the next day, pushing the business’ value to an unverified $25,000.
While it could be seen as a modern rags-to-riches story, Fall’s significant Twitter following and knowledge as a brand designer should not be discounted.
Nonetheless, the experiment raises questions about the viability of using AI chatbots to start a business, particularly given that the site generated just $109 in revenue for a week’s work. It could be argued that this experiment was more of a marketing stunt than a genuine example of how someone could start a business, albeit one that is fun.
As the experiment gained traction on social media, it is inevitable that it will inspire others to start businesses by consulting an AI. However, the risk is that it could lead to a proliferation of borderline-fake businesses bloating the internet in the same way that AI-generated articles do. Regardless, Fall intends to continue the experiment as long as it takes him.
As the saying goes, “a fool and his money are soon parted,” and it remains to be seen whether using an AI chatbot to start a business is a wise move or not.
At the very least, the experiment highlights the potential of AI chatbots in the world of business, even if it does not provide a clear roadmap to success.