Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming one of the most important tools for businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals. But while much of the conversation around AI focuses on making quick money through content creation, freelancing and other side hustles, real estate entrepreneur Ryan Serhant has argued that the bigger opportunity is using AI to build and improve businesses.
Serhant, known for his work in real estate and sales, has become an advocate for using technology to improve productivity and business operations. His perspective highlights an important shift in the AI conversation: instead of asking how to make a few dollars from AI, businesses should be asking how the technology can help them create more value, serve customers better and operate more efficiently.
For entrepreneurs and professionals in Kenya and across Africa, this distinction is particularly important. AI does not have to be a business by itself. It can also become a tool that makes an existing business faster, more productive and easier to scale.
The Real Opportunity May Be Using AI to Improve Existing Businesses
AI has created a wave of new income opportunities. People are using generative AI tools to write marketing material, create images, analyse information, build presentations and assist with software development.
However, simply using AI to produce content does not automatically create a sustainable business.
A more durable approach is to identify an existing business problem and determine whether AI can solve part of it.
For example, a small Kenyan business could use AI to organise customer enquiries, summarise sales information, draft marketing messages or analyse frequently asked questions.
The business is not necessarily selling AI.
AI is simply helping the business perform better.
That distinction can make AI adoption more useful in the long term.
How AI Can Increase Productivity
One of the clearest opportunities for businesses is reducing the amount of time employees spend on repetitive tasks.
Depending on the tools being used, AI can assist with activities such as:
- Drafting emails and business documents
- Summarising meetings
- Organising information
- Analysing spreadsheets
- Conducting preliminary research
- Creating marketing ideas
- Preparing customer-service responses
- Turning notes into structured documents
- Generating first drafts of presentations
The important point is that AI-generated work should still be reviewed by a person.
AI systems can make factual errors, misunderstand instructions or produce information that sounds convincing but is incorrect. Human review therefore remains important, particularly when the output affects customers, finances, legal matters or business decisions.
AI Can Help Small Businesses Compete
Large companies have traditionally had an advantage because they can afford larger teams for marketing, customer support, research and administration.
AI could narrow part of that gap.
A small business with a limited workforce can use automation and AI-assisted tools to handle some repetitive tasks without immediately expanding its staff.
Consider a small online retailer.
Instead of manually responding to every basic customer question, the business could use an automated system to handle frequently asked questions while employees focus on more complicated requests.
A marketing team could also use AI to generate campaign ideas, analyse customer feedback and prepare initial versions of promotional material.
This does not eliminate the need for employees. Instead, it can allow a small team to spend more time on activities where human judgment matters.
AI and Sales: An Important Opportunity
Sales is another area where AI can have a significant impact.
Sales professionals often spend substantial amounts of time researching prospects, preparing messages and following up with potential customers.
AI-assisted tools can help organise this information and prepare personalised communication.
For example, a sales representative could use AI to:
- Organise information about potential customers.
- Identify common customer requirements.
- Prepare a first draft of a personalised message.
- Summarise previous interactions.
- Prioritise follow-up activities.
The salesperson still makes the final decisions and maintains the relationship.
This combination of automation and human interaction can be more valuable than simply sending large numbers of generic AI-generated messages.
What AI Could Mean for Real Estate
Real estate is particularly interesting because it involves large amounts of information, customer communication and marketing.
Agents can potentially use AI to assist with:
- Property descriptions
- Lead management
- Market research
- Customer follow-ups
- Marketing campaigns
- Appointment scheduling
- Document summarisation
- Analysis of property information
For an agent handling dozens of potential buyers or sellers, saving even a small amount of time on repetitive administration can have a meaningful effect on productivity.
However, AI should not replace professional verification.
Property information, prices, legal documents and transaction details need to be checked against reliable sources before being provided to customers.
AI Can Create New Revenue Streams
The opportunity is not limited to making existing businesses more efficient.
Entrepreneurs can also build new products and services around AI.
Examples include:
- AI-powered customer-support solutions
- Business automation services
- Data-analysis services
- AI training and consulting
- Industry-specific software
- AI-assisted research services
- Educational products
- Workflow automation tools
The strongest opportunities are likely to come from combining AI with knowledge of a specific industry.
Someone who understands banking, agriculture, logistics, education or healthcare may be better positioned to identify useful AI applications in that sector than someone simply chasing the latest AI trend.
Why Kenya Could Benefit From This Shift
Kenya has a growing technology and startup ecosystem, making AI adoption increasingly relevant to local businesses.
For Kenyan entrepreneurs, the opportunity is not necessarily to compete directly with the world’s largest AI companies.
Instead, businesses can focus on solving local problems.
AI could potentially help businesses with areas such as customer service, financial analysis, agriculture, education, logistics, marketing and document processing.
A Kenyan company that understands a local problem and combines that knowledge with AI technology may have an advantage over a generic solution that does not understand the market.
This is particularly important because technology adoption is not simply about having access to sophisticated AI models.
The real value comes from applying those models to problems that customers are actually willing to pay to solve.
AI Is Not a Shortcut to Easy Money
The rapid growth of AI has also created unrealistic expectations.
Social media is filled with claims that people can become wealthy quickly by using AI to generate content, start automated businesses or sell digital products.
Some people will undoubtedly make money from these opportunities.
But AI does not eliminate competition.
As more people gain access to similar tools, basic AI-generated services can become increasingly difficult to differentiate.
The competitive advantage therefore moves from simply having access to AI to knowing how to use it effectively.
Skills such as industry knowledge, sales, marketing, customer research, critical thinking and problem-solving remain extremely valuable.
The Skills That Matter in an AI Economy
Learning how to write prompts is useful, but it is only one part of becoming effective with AI.
Professionals should also develop skills in:
Critical Thinking
AI-generated information needs to be evaluated rather than accepted automatically.
Data Literacy
Understanding numbers and data helps users determine whether AI-generated conclusions make sense.
Communication
People who can communicate clearly can often get better results from AI systems and turn those results into useful business outputs.
Industry Expertise
AI tools are widely available. Knowledge of a particular industry can provide the differentiation.
Problem-Solving
The ability to identify inefficient processes and determine where automation can help may become increasingly valuable.
The Risks Businesses Should Not Ignore
AI adoption also introduces risks.
Companies handling customer information need to consider privacy and data protection before entering sensitive information into AI systems.
Businesses should also consider:
- Accuracy of AI-generated information
- Customer privacy
- Copyright and intellectual-property issues
- Security risks
- Human oversight
- Transparency
- Cost of AI services
- Dependence on third-party platforms
An AI system that saves employees two hours a day but introduces expensive errors may not actually improve the business.
The objective should therefore be useful automation, not automation for its own sake.
A Practical Way to Start Using AI
Businesses that have not yet adopted AI do not necessarily need to make a large investment immediately.
A better starting point is to identify repetitive tasks.
For example:
Step 1: List tasks employees perform repeatedly.
Step 2: Identify tasks that involve predictable information or processes.
Step 3: Test whether an AI or automation tool can assist with one of those tasks.
Step 4: Measure the time saved and quality of the results.
Step 5: Keep human oversight for important decisions.
Step 6: Expand the system only after proving that it creates measurable value.
This approach can help businesses avoid spending money on AI tools simply because they are fashionable.
AI’s Biggest Opportunity May Be Business Transformation
The most interesting aspect of Serhant’s argument is the change in mindset it represents.
Instead of asking:
“How can I make money from AI?”
Businesses can ask:
“How can AI help me create more value?”
That question opens up a much wider range of possibilities.
AI could help a retailer understand customers better, help a real estate agent manage leads, help a media company analyse information faster or help a startup provide customer support with a small team.
The technology becomes part of the business rather than the entire business model.
What This Means for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs, the lesson is not to ignore AI side hustles completely. Rather, it is to avoid assuming that every AI trend represents a sustainable business opportunity.
A stronger strategy is to combine three things:
Existing expertise + a real customer problem + AI
For example, someone with expertise in digital marketing could use AI to improve campaign analysis and reporting.
A logistics professional could explore AI-assisted route planning.
An educator could use AI to create personalised learning materials.
An accountant could use AI-assisted tools to organise financial information while maintaining professional oversight.
The technology is most valuable when it is connected to real expertise.
Final Thoughts
Ryan Serhant’s perspective highlights an important development in the AI economy. The biggest opportunity may not be using artificial intelligence to chase quick online income, but using it to make existing businesses more productive and capable of serving customers at scale.
AI can assist with research, administration, marketing, customer service, sales and data analysis. But the technology itself is not a substitute for expertise, judgment or a strong business model.
For entrepreneurs in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa, the opportunity could be especially significant. Businesses do not necessarily need to build the next major AI model. They can focus on identifying local problems and using increasingly accessible AI tools to solve them more efficiently.
The businesses that benefit most from AI may ultimately be those that treat it not as a shortcut to easy money, but as infrastructure for building better products, services and businesses.
SEO Information
Meta Title: Ryan Serhant on How AI Can Help Businesses Make More Money
Meta Description: Ryan Serhant believes AI’s biggest financial opportunity goes beyond side hustles. Here’s how businesses can use AI to improve productivity, sales and growth.
Focus Keyword: AI for business growth
Secondary Keywords: AI business opportunities, Ryan Serhant AI, how businesses can use AI, AI productivity, AI entrepreneurship
SEO Slug: ryan-serhant-ai-business-growth
Category: AI & Innovation
Suggested Tags: Artificial Intelligence, AI Tools, Business, Entrepreneurship, Productivity, Technology
