Test AI influencers for 7 days with Claude and Higgsfield: $157 profit, shown honestly
A real test of the "laziest AI side hustle", with costs included.
It works, but slowly: a week of content earned about $157.
Figures as shared by the creator · source
From @marktilbury on YouTube · Sep 2026
The workflow
Made with
HiggsfieldGenerate · AI video and image generationTry Higgsfield AIMore cases
Stan StoreSell · Link-in-bio storefront for digital productsTry Stan Store with AIMore casesWhere & with what
What they did
- 1The moveMark Tilbury gave himself 7 days and a $99 budget to see what AI influencers really earn.
- 2Step 2Study AI accounts that already get views in your niche
- 3Step 3Design a few distinct characters with Claude
- 4ResultHe sold 23 workbooks for $276 in revenue.
Quick answers
What tools do you need?
Claude (ai assistant for writing, products and building small tools); Higgsfield (ai video and image generation); Stan Store (link-in-bio storefront for digital products).
How much does it cost?
You can start for $0: Claude has a free plan. Higgsfield, Stan Store are paid or trial-based. Check each tool's site for current prices.
Is it allowed?
Yes. Meta may add an "AI info" label to AI-generated media; disclose paid partnerships. Source.
Try it yourself
Create 3 AI influencer concepts for Instagram in the [niche] niche. For each, give a name, age, look, one memorable quirk, a weekly content plan of 7 short video ideas, and one simple digital product under $15 the character could promote.
Your first step
Open Claude, paste the prompt above and swap the [brackets] for your own niche.
Full write-up & sources
More detail: He studied existing AI accounts, used Claude to come up with characters and content plans, generated photos and videos in Higgsfield, gave the characters voices, and posted to Instagram. Each account promoted a $12 digital workbook sold through Stan Store.
Results: After the $99 Higgsfield plan and $19.52 in PayPal fees, profit was $157.48, so he missed his $1,000 goal. One character, Grandma Viv, took off late with a video over 250,000 views. His video about the test has 6,681,325 views (YouTube, Oct 17, 2026); it includes a Higgsfield affiliate link.
Worth knowing: The account that took off was the most distinctive character, not the most polished one.
Source: @marktilbury on YouTube · Sep 2026. Summarised in our own words; figures as shared by the creator. Updated .
