I replaced my $26,800-a-year media team with $57 per month AI tools

In Hanoi, a small business owner recently replaced a costly media team with affordable AI tools. The owner, like many others in his position, was motivated by the need to prioritize profits. Previously, he paid a media team over VND700 million annually, excluding bonuses. The team's output, however, was deemed insufficient to justify their wages, as they often engaged in activities unrelated to work, such as personal phone use, music listening, and social media browsing.

In 2024, the owner decided to restructure his business. He abandoned the media team and instead relied on AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. To familiarize himself with these tools, the owner and his wife dedicated a week to learning the basics of design and video-editing applications like Canva and CapCut. Now, they utilize ChatGPT for generating images and creating marketing plans, while Gemini assists in crafting promotional videos and evaluating ChatGPT's output.

The owner and his wife create compilation videos using CapCut. For advertising banners, signs, and branding, they connect their Canva account with the AI tools to generate the necessary content. The total cost for these subscriptions amounts to just $40 per month, or VND18 million annually.

Despite the reduced cost, the owner maintains that the quality of output produced by the AI tools is comparable to that of his former media team. He believes that AI has enabled small business owners like him to maximize their profits, highlighting the significant benefits that AI brings to the table. This opinion, submitted by a reader, reflects personal views and does not necessarily align with VnExpress' standpoint.