There's been a lot of panic about AI taking jobs, but “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary says it has actually made human creativity more valuable, and young people who turn ideas into results can earn big.

O'Leary recently said on "The Iced Coffee Hour" podcast that some of the highest-paying jobs today involve using creative storytelling on social media to help companies find new customers. He thinks you don't have to be an engineer anymore to earn big.

"I used to pay those guys 48 grand a year," O'Leary said. "Now they earn $250,000 because you can measure their work based on customer acquisition every week. So remember, everybody said you have to be an engineer, an engineer, an engineer? Now you want to be an artist again."

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Young people who can tell stories and sell through content on TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn could work as contractors and make up to half a million a year, as these skills have never been more valuable, O'Leary said.

"They make half a million dollars a year because they know how to take content, turn it into a 59-second ad on social and acquire 200 customers," he told podcast hosts Graham Stephan and Jack Selby. "That’s a very specific. Write stories, acquire customers, know how the social media platforms work."

When asked what he would do to make a fortune if he were a young person in today's world, O'Leary said he would use his editing skills to create short-form videos, help companies gain new customers, and charge per customer.

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"I would basically say, ‘Look, pay me 100 bucks for each customer I acquire for you,'" he told Stephan and Selby. "I’d make millions. I know how to do it."

In the global debate over AI wiping out human work, O'Leary sides with opportunity. History shows new technologies always create opportunities, but right now no one knows exactly where the next wave will lead, he said.

"It’s going to create more jobs," O'Leary said on the podcast. "Everybody’s got it wrong. It’s just like, you know, television will destroy radio. No, it’s not. AI is going to be such a powerful tool. Will create new industries we haven’t even thought of."

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AI's effect on productivity has been underestimated, O'Leary thinks. Companies are using it to cut costs, stretch resources, and its impact is finally showing in cash flows.

"The impact of AI was underestimated as a productivity tool," O'Leary told Stephan and Selby. "AI is turning out to be a massive productivity tool for margin enhancement, increased cash flow and productivity all at the same time. Not just in one sector, in all 11 sectors of the economy."

As AI continues to reshape how companies create and measure content, some businesses are turning to tools that help optimize performance and customer acquisition. Platforms like RAD use artificial intelligence to analyze marketing campaigns and provide insights that can help teams refine their messaging and improve results over time.

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This article 'They Make Half a Million Dollars a Year:' Kevin O'Leary Says Forget Engineering — He Pays $250K A Year For This 'Very Specific' Skill originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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