Is anyone actually making money with AI? (Real question)

Everywhere I look, people are talking about AI.

But I rarely see people showing real client work, real workflows, and real income. Most of the content seems to be about learning AI rather than using AI to make money.

I'm genuinely trying to understand something.

People keep saying, "Learn VS Code. Learn Claude Code. Build automations."

As someone who's still an AI beginner, I don't get it.

Why do I need VS Code if I can already use ChatGPT or Claude in my browser?

If I need research, I can use Perplexity.If I need images, I can use Nano Banana.If I need writing, ChatGPT or Claude can already do that.

So what's the missing piece?

How does VS Code actually help you deliver client work or build a business?

If you're already making money with AI, I'd love to learn:

What service do you sell?
What does your workflow look like?
Where does VS Code fit into it?
What can you do with Claude Code that you can't realistically do in a normal AI chat?

I'm not looking for theory or hype. I'd love to hear from people with real-world experience.

These are actually the questions a friend asked me when I invited him to learn AI automation with me... and I realized I couldn't answer them well either.

Would appreciate any insights or examples. Thanks!

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Is anyone actually making money with AI? (Real question)