Woman Pays Off Debt Following ChatGPT's Advice
Cancels Unnecessary Subscriptions, Makes Meals with Existing Ingredients
Finds Forgotten Money Through Mobile Apps
"Earned 15 Million Won in Just One Month by Following the Advice"
The story of an American woman who paid off more than 15 million won in debt with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT is drawing attention. For 30 days, she asked ChatGPT for one actionable "money-making idea" each day, put several of these suggestions into practice, and ultimately managed to pay off nearly half of her debt, which totaled over 30 million won.
On July 11 (local time), the American morning program "Good Morning America" on ABC Network featured the episode of Jennifer Allen, a real estate agent and content creator, who launched the "30-Day ChatGPT Challenge" on TikTok.
Allen said, "Every day, I asked ChatGPT for one money-making task I could do to pay off my $23,000 (37.17 million won) in credit card debt." She revealed, "Over the course of a month, I earned more than $11,000 (15.16 million won) and paid off a total of $12,078 (16.65 million won) in debt," surprising many viewers.
ChatGPT provided her with a variety of ideas. Allen shared, "ChatGPT suggested that I write the total debt amount of $23,000 on a watermelon with a permanent marker, call it 'debt art,' and auction it on eBay." This story went viral on TikTok, garnering over 2 million views. She explained, "After taking a photo of the watermelon with '$23,000' written on it, I sold the photo at auction for $51."
Allen also received practical advice from ChatGPT, such as canceling unnecessary subscription services, selling used items on Facebook Marketplace, and planning meals for a month using only ingredients from her pantry. In particular, the biggest achievement Allen shared was finding forgotten money through a mobile app. She said, "After thoroughly checking my phone, I found $100.80 left in Venmo, a mobile payment and transfer service," and added, "My husband said, 'We don't even have a brokerage account,' but there was actually $10,200 left in the account."
As a result, Allen was able to pay off nearly half of her credit card debt. Allen said, "It was a process of facing, recording, talking about, and examining my debt every day," and added, "I created a debt management system and, for the first time, no longer felt ashamed. I gained the confidence that I could overcome anything."
However, experts advised, "Rather than blindly trusting AI advice, use it as a tool." They also emphasized, "To avoid debt, you must keep your spending within your income range." Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate, said, "Many people are currently saving less and accumulating more debt," and added, "Instead of making large purchases, it may be wiser to drive your car a little longer or use your kitchen cabinets for a few more years."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
