AI Automation (A-Z) review
A giant paid community built on a 7-day first-client challenge.
The quick verdict
Albert Shiney's Skool community (≈164.8k members), one of the largest of its kind, built around a 7-day challenge that takes a beginner from zero to a first AI automation agency client, with daily software giveaways and a newer optional 1:1 mentorship add-on. It is $7/month after a 7-day free trial, and the page states the price becomes $50/month for new members once it passes 165,000. Funnels toward an external paid tool (Buildmyagent). Best for beginners wanting a fast, cheap challenge; skip it if you want tool-specific depth instead. Best for beginners who want a fast, cheap, structured aaa starting challenge.
What stood out
- One of the largest AI automation communities anywhere
- Concrete 7-day 'first client' challenge to follow
- Cheap to try: $7/month after a 7-day free trial, with daily software giveaways
Worth knowing
- Heavy promotion of an external paid tool (Buildmyagent)
- 'First client in 7 days' framing is aspirational, not typical
- Countdown pricing ('$50/month once we hit 165,000 members') is a scarcity tactic
- Thin public detail; quality varies at this scale
Typically $7/month · $49/year (7-day free trial)
Affiliate link. AcademyGems may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, and it never sways the verdict.
What it is
AI Automation (A-Z) is one of the biggest communities on Skool, with roughly 164,800 members. The hook is a 7-day challenge that promises to take a complete beginner to their first AI automation agency (AAA) client, with daily giveaways of free software along the way.
What it costs
Despite the `skool.com/freegroup` URL and the 'START FREE' buttons, this is a paid community. Membership is $7/month, or $49/year billed annually, after a 7-day free trial. The checkout adds VAT, so a first charge in the EU lands at about $8.79. The community page also states that once membership passes 165,000, new members pay $50/month. It was at roughly 164,800 when AcademyGems last checked, so treat that as imminent if it is enforced, and as a scarcity tactic either way. AcademyGems has not seen the price change take effect and cannot confirm it will.
Who runs it
It is run by Albert Shiney. As with most large AAA communities, the group is a top-of-funnel asset that promotes paid tools (here, an external product called Buildmyagent), so treat the challenge as the genuine value and the upsells with caution. A newer optional '1:1 mentorship' add-on has also appeared on the community page.
What is inside
The centrepiece is the 7-day challenge: a structured, beginner-first path toward landing a first client, plus an active feed (recently showing several hundred members online at once) and the recurring software giveaways. It is challenge-led rather than a deep, evergreen curriculum.
How it compares
- AI Automation (A-Z) vs AI Automation Agency Hub: both are huge AAA communities, but the Hub's core group is genuinely free while A-Z charges $7/month after a trial; A-Z compresses everything into a fast 7-day challenge, while the Hub offers a fuller, slower course library.
- AI Automation (A-Z) vs AI Automation Society: AI Automation Society hands you specific, clonable n8n and Claude Code templates; A-Z is more about the sales/client-acquisition challenge than tool-specific building.
Who it is for
Absolute beginners who want a cheap, time-boxed push to take their first concrete steps toward an AI automation agency, and who like a large, busy community.
Who should skip it
If you want tool-specific depth (n8n, Claude Code) over a fast 'get a client' challenge, the AI Automation Society fits better. And reset expectations: a first client in 7 days is the aspiration, not the norm.
First-look verdict
At $7/month with a 7-day trial this is low-risk rather than free, and it is strongest as a kick-start. Do the challenge, ignore the urgency around both the countdown pricing and the paid tools, and judge any upsell on its own merits. If you want a genuinely free starting point, AI Automation Agency Hub and AI Automation Society both qualify.
How to read this review
Best fit
AI Automation (A-Z) is strongest for beginners who want a fast, cheap, structured aaa starting challenge. Its best signals are one of the largest ai automation communities anywhere and concrete 7-day 'first client' challenge to follow. Use that as the real buying test, not the broad promise on the sales page.
Skip or wait if
Be cautious if heavy promotion of an external paid tool (buildmyagent) or 'first client in 7 days' framing is aspirational, not typical. For a first-look listing, treat the sources and the live provider page as the final source of truth before paying.
Evidence notes
AcademyGems does not invent ratings. Because no reliable public star rating is available, this entry leads with the visible scale metric: ≈164.8k members. Price and access can change quickly, so confirm the live page before buying or subscribing.
Sources
First look: this entry is researched from the sources above and not yet a completed hands-on review. Figures were accurate as of August 2026; prices and member counts change, so confirm on the provider's page before you buy.
Compare AI Automation (A-Z) against similar picks
AI Automation Society
Nate Herk's community for building AI automations with n8n and, increasingly, Claude Code, calling itself the largest global AI automation community (≈420k members). The free tier offers 100+ importable n8n templates, drop-in Claude Code skills, a 7-day build challenge with a certification, and full GitHub repos to clone; a paid "Plus" tier adds courses, an n8n masterclass, weekly live calls and tech support. Best for hands-on n8n/Claude Code builders; skip it if you use neither tool.
The AI Advantage
Founded by Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi and Igor Pogany, The AI Advantage is a large public Skool community (≈126k members) pitched at everyday people and businesses around three pillars: Clarity (curated tools and prompts), Confidence (applying AI to your work) and Connection (a peer community). Free to join, with a paid AI Advantage Club upsell. Best for non-technical beginners; skip it if you want hands-on technical depth.
AI Money Lab
Julian Goldie's free Skool community (≈85k members) focused on making money with AI: 50+ free AI tools, 200+ ChatGPT SEO prompts, 1,000+ n8n workflows, and member case studies (including a reported $10,000+ ChatGPT earner), with daily free trainings. Funnels toward the paid AI Profit Boardroom. Best for SEO/content marketers who like self-directing through a big resource library; skip it if you want structure over volume.
Automatable Free
Jono Catliff's free Skool community (≈18k members): 100+ plug-and-play automation blueprints from his 140k-subscriber YouTube channel, covering Claude Code builds, n8n, Make and GoHighLevel, each with an optional walkthrough. A free home base, with a paid Automatable community upsell. Best for self-paced builders who want real blueprints to clone; skip it if you want structured, sequential teaching.
AI Automation (A-Z): common questions
- Is AI Automation (A-Z) free?
- No. Despite the freegroup URL and the 'START FREE' buttons, it is $7/month, or $49/year billed annually, after a 7-day free trial. The community page also says new members pay $50/month once it passes 165,000 members. It separately promotes an external paid tool (Buildmyagent) and an optional 1:1 mentorship add-on.
- Can I really get a client in 7 days?
- That is the challenge's promise, not a guarantee. Treat it as an aspirational target; real results depend on the work you put in after the challenge.
- How many members does AI Automation (A-Z) have?
- Around 164,800 as of August 2026, one of the largest AI automation agency communities on Skool.
Typically $7/month · $49/year (7-day free trial)
Affiliate link. AcademyGems may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, and it never sways the verdict.