The claim
Use ChatGPT to create courses and ebooks, sell them for passive income..
'Faceless digital products' and AI course-building are heavily promoted on social media, but serious journalism on outcomes is thin.
How we checked
This is an evidence check, not a hands-on test. We reviewed platform rules and policies, published earnings data, regulator warnings and reporting: 2 sources, listed below.
Costs
- Start-up cost
- £0–£40/month (AI tools plus Gumroad/Payhip/Udemy fees or a hosting plan)
- Effort
- high
What the evidence shows
A course sells because of the teacher's expertise and audience, not because AI wrote it. Udemy explicitly rejects courses that are mostly AI-generated with little instructor input, and the 'faceless digital product' and resell-rights scene is largely people selling how-to-sell courses to each other. People with real knowledge and an audience can use AI to produce faster and earn well; beginners without either usually earn little.
Realistic earnings: Without an existing audience, often £0–£200 in the first year; experts with a following can earn meaningfully more.
Limitations
Earnings ranges are typical outcomes for a beginner, drawn from the sources; some people do far better or worse. Platform rules change often, so check the latest policy before you start.
Works for some, not most.
