Ways to earn / Other

AI income courses, coaching: why we say do not start

Do not start checked 2026-10-08

Promises that for a one-off payment (a course, coaching or a ready-made store or AI agent) AI will build and run an income stream for you with little work.

What the evidence says about money

Do not start. The FTC has repeatedly acted against sellers of AI-branded income packages. Automators AI (order Feb 2024): promised 'passive investment income' powered by AI; judgment about USD 21.77 million.

How sure are we: Backed by the platform's own pages or a regulator.

What can go wrong

• Large upfront payments for little or no working product
• Earnings screenshots and testimonials are cherry-picked; 'results not typical' disclaimers are used to avoid liability
• Refund requests are often denied or delayed (as alleged in FTC cases)
• Non-disparagement clauses discourage buyers from warning others
• If you resell the course or recruit others you can become legally responsible for false earnings claims

How it hooks people

A big income number next to a low price. The FTC has banned sellers of 'AI-powered' store programs.

Age, region and other limits

Minimum age 18. FTC cases are US; EU consumer protection and national authorities act against similar claims. Checking a seller means asking for audited typical earnings, not screenshots.

Sources

• FTC press release (27 Feb 2024): Automators AI promised 'passive investment income' via AI-powered stores; permanent ban on offering e-commerce business opportunities, total judgment of about USD 21.77 million partly suspended; the FTC alleged the vast majority of clients did not make the promised earnings. [P]
• FTC press release (22 Aug 2023) when the Automators action was announced: consumers lured to invest about USD 22 million; unfounded claims such as 'USD 4k to 6k consistently monthly net profit'; allegations at that stage. [P]
• Click Profit timeline from a policy tracker: FTC filed a complaint on 3 Mar 2025, a court issued a temporary restraining order on 5 Mar 2025, and the FTC issued proposed orders on 25 Aug 2025. The FTC press release itself returned 404 and the tracker's full text was behind a sign-in. [S]
• Local news summary of the Click Profit case: alleged 'guaranteed passive income' claims, earnings of hundreds of thousands or millions, misrepresented AI use and false partnerships with Nike and Disney; proposed judgments of USD 13.6 million and USD 7.3 million partly suspended for inability to pay; orders take effect once a judge signs. [S]
• DLA Piper summary of FTC v. Air AI (announced 25 Aug 2025): FTC alleges the AI sales agent did not function as advertised and cannot perform basic tasks; defendants took millions from entrepreneurs and small businesses, some of whom lost up to USD 250,000. Allegations. [S]
• FTC business blog (June 2026): 'unusually successful earnings by a handful of people' do not by themselves support a claim about typical earnings; the FTC acts against recruiters using false earnings claims. [P]

Related

• AI trading bots, paid signals and 'copy my bot' communities (Do not start)
• Multi-level marketing and network marketing 'businesses' (Do not start)
• Buying 'aged' or 'warmed-up' social media and platform accounts (Do not start)
• Prediction markets and sports betting as an income (Do not start)
• 'Get paid to complete simple online tasks' offers (Do not start)