I Tried ChatGPT’s AI Agent To Make Money Online. Here’s What Happened

Everyone’s talking about AI agents. But why all the hype? “They’re the new future of work,” IBM’s executive Justina Nixon-Saintil told me back in February when I visited IBM’s headquarters in London. Nixon-Saintil predicted that very soon, AI agents would be so powerfully effective that they would be our new teammates at work. One day, you could be logging into your desktop and be greeted with hybrid team members: not an actual hybrid team in the working-from-home sense, but the kind that is half-human, half-robot, like something out of an eerie sci-fi movie. “These agents can actually execute the work for you," Nixon-Saintil said. "Now, managers will need to know how to lead humans and how to lead a team of AI agents.”

• More than half (54%) of skilled freelancers report advanced or expert-level skill in using AI tools for work, compared to 38% of skilled full-time employees.*
• About 62% of skilled freelancers currently use AI tools at least several times per week.
• This is in contrast to January 2024, which showed a mere 20% of freelancers say they regularly use generative AI, according to the World Economic Forum.
(*From Upwork’s survey of 3,000 knowledge workers in May 2025) I was already curious about AI agents and just how useful they could be in this new world of work. But now that OpenAI released its new ChatGPT Agent mode, I decided to put it to the test and see if it could actually help me build a business and make money online as a freelancer. In this article, I share what I discovered.

What Is An AI Agent?

An AI agent is an AI tool (still in early stages) that can perform complex tasks and acts much like an assistant or even as an employee. “AI agents are the tools we use to interact with AI. They can automate and perform complex tasks, such as natural language processing, that would normally require humans," says McKinsey & Company.

What Can Agentic AI Do?

McKinsey further explains that you can organize agents into systems that can:
• Orchestrate complex workflows
• Coordinate activities among multiple agents
• Apply logic to thorny problems
• Evaluate answers to user queries

What Are The Best AI Agents?

There are different types of AI agents, some of which you may already use for work, like Copilot and ChatGPT. Then there are more advanced models and software, fantastic for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals launching side hustles (especially when you have limited time because you’re working 9-5), such as:
• MindPal AI
• ChatGPT Agent mode
• Zapier’s AI agents
• Or build your own custom AI agents using a no-code/low-code AI agent builder (even better)

Can ChatGPT’s AI Agent Really Help You Make Money Online?

The short answer is yes. As a well-experienced freelancer with six years under my belt, I decided to give ChatGPT’s new agent mode a go, and see if it could transform my business or be just another hype. What I did:
• Logged into my ChatGPT Plus account
• Opened a new chat
• Clicked on the tools button and opened the agent mode
• Gave it this prompt: “Analyze my LinkedIn profile in-depth and list recommendations for me to tweak it to attract high net-worth deals and partnerships and high-paying clients [included my LinkedIn URL].”
This is what ChatGPT Agent mode looks like when it's at work analyzing my LinkedIn profile. The results were astounding. I was able to watch the agent work in real time as it:
• Opened up a new tab on its desktop
• Navigated to my LinkedIn profile
• Combed through the data in each section
• Provided me with about 10 recommendations. I’ll share one below that I found particularly interesting:
"Emphasize measurable results in experience entries. For roles at CreatiSphere and Rachel Wells Coaching, spell out metrics that matter to high‑net‑worth clients: revenue growth, client portfolio size, geographies served and notable partnerships. Incorporate achievements such as “grew coaching business to $300K+ revenue in 2024,” “helped 10,000 professionals across eight countries increase income,” or “secured Fortune‑500 clients for corporate training programmes.” Now that was something to think about. I tell my clients all the time to use quantifiable metrics wherever possible, and I did this in my about summary section on LinkedIn, but had never considered including metrics like my coaching business revenue in my experience section. The AI agent gave me tons of actionable steps which I’m currently implementing to take my business to the next level, and even though I already have partnerships and clients, I know for sure that when I apply these tips to my business I’ll be able to secure even more six-figure deals using the leverage I have. This is just one example of how you can use AI agents like ChatGPT’s agent mode to help you make more money, especially as a freelancer. Here’s another powerful example of how to make as much as $10,000 from this simple AI agent trick with ChatGPT. My prompt: I want you to identify 10 key decision-makers for me to land speaking engagements, who are already in my LinkedIn network, and draft a message to them by way of introduction to build a relationship with them.
• ChatGPT’s AI agent responded with a list of job titles but said it was unable to view my personal contacts in my LinkedIn network.
• So, I suggested that it allow me to take over and log into my account myself and then it could view my connections and list 10 specific contacts from my network, without me having to search them myself.
• It then browsed through my connections, listed 10 contacts I could reach out to, and even gave me an outreach template.
Slight caveat: If you’re using ChatGPT’s agent mode to log into some websites and perform tasks for you, it may not be able to bypass the “I’m not a robot” human verification, even if you take over and control its desktop and perform the verification yourself.

How Do You Use AI Agents To Make Money?

AI agents like ChatGPT certainly can transform your ability to make money online through your skills and start/boost your freelance business, if used for tasks like:
• Research and outlines for freelance writing
• Conducting in-depth market research and creating reports from them
• Creating bespoke and highly effective marketing campaigns including assets like posts, graphics, etc.
Here’s how, step-by-step:
• Identify what you need to get done in your business, that you’d delegate to an assistant
• Find the right AI agent for your use case and task
• Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus if you haven’t already
• Prompt the agent with highly specific instructions and goals
• Take control of the agent and step in where necessary
• Use the outputs to transform the processes, ideation, and development, and launch of your freelance business or side hustle
• Bear in mind that even though it saves you tedious hours, you should never blindly trust AI outputs but review its work personally
Will I use ChatGPT Agent mode again? Absolutely. I’m looking forward to reporting back on how my income and business revenue doubles after using this fantastic tool for the next few months. In the meantime, give agentic AI a try and see what it can do for your career, your money, and your business.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Understanding AI Agents

Q: What is an AI agent? A: An AI agent is an AI tool capable of performing complex tasks, often acting as a digital assistant or employee. They automate processes that would typically require human intervention. Q: How do AI agents make money? A: AI agents can be used to generate income by assisting with various tasks such as market research, content creation, marketing campaigns, and business development, thereby increasing efficiency and opening new revenue streams for freelancers and businesses. Q: What are some examples of AI agents? A: Examples include ChatGPT's Agent mode, IBM's AI agents, and platforms like MindPal AI and Zapier's AI agents. Q: Can AI agents help with professional development? A: Yes, AI agents can provide valuable insights and recommendations for improving professional profiles, such as optimizing LinkedIn for better client acquisition, as demonstrated in the article.

Using ChatGPT's AI Agent Mode

Q: How did the author use ChatGPT's AI Agent mode to make money? A: The author used ChatGPT's Agent mode to analyze their LinkedIn profile for recommendations to attract high-net-worth clients and to identify key decision-makers for speaking engagements. Q: What were the results of using ChatGPT's AI Agent mode? A: The results were positive, with the agent providing actionable recommendations that the author is implementing to grow their business. It also helped identify potential contacts for outreach. Q: Are there any limitations to ChatGPT's AI Agent mode? A: A notable limitation mentioned is the potential inability to bypass "I'm not a robot" verification checks on certain websites, even with user intervention.

AI Agents in the Workforce

Q: How are AI agents changing the future of work? A: AI agents are predicted to become new teammates, capable of executing work autonomously. This will require managers to adapt their leadership styles to include both human and AI team members. Q: What is the adoption rate of AI tools among freelancers? A: Over half (54%) of skilled freelancers report advanced or expert-level skills in using AI tools for work, with a significant majority using them regularly.

Crypto Market AI's Take

The exploration of ChatGPT's AI Agent mode highlights a significant shift in how individuals can leverage artificial intelligence for professional and financial gain. At Crypto Market AI, we see this as a natural progression towards more sophisticated AI-driven solutions within the financial sector. Our platform is built on similar principles, aiming to provide users with AI-powered tools for cryptocurrency analysis, trading, and market intelligence. Understanding and utilizing AI agents effectively is key to staying competitive in the evolving digital economy. For those interested in how AI can enhance financial strategies, our insights on AI-powered crypto trading bots offer a deeper dive into practical applications.

More to Read:

• AI Agents: The Future of Work?
• How to Make $3,000/Hour with ChatGPT
• The Rise of AI in Freelancing

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Source: Originally published at Forbes on August 1, 2025.