AI startup pays 'masturbation consultants' $2,000 monthly to test guided self-pleasure program

AI companion startup Joi AI paid ten "masturbation consultants" $2,000 each for a 28-day study in July 2026 to test its guided self-pleasure program. Selected from 150,000 applicants, participants logged 134 sessions. Joi AI claims the results show a 25% reduction in stress and a 44% drop in cravings for vices like nicotine and alcohol. However, experts express deep concern over the platform's wellness framing, warning that its monetization model and "AI-lationships" focus promote social isolation and exploit vulnerable users.

Joi AI masturbation consultant study

• ▪The AI companion company Joi AI conducted a month-long qualitative research study in July 2026 involving ten paid "masturbation consultants" to evaluate AI-guided self-pleasure as a wellness ritual.
• ▪Joi AI selected its ten masturbation consultants from an applicant pool of over 150,000 hopefuls, paying each participant $2,000 for the 28-day study.
• ▪Six of the ten selected masturbation consultants successfully completed the Joi AI study, which required them to masturbate daily except Sundays and use Joi AI's digital companions twice a week.

AI companion platform pricing

• ▪Joi AI sells 10,000 "Joi neuron" coins for $99.99, and charges 1,000 neurons for private videos from its digital companions.
• ▪Joi AI charges a minimum subscription fee of $3.99 per month, but users must purchase in-app currency with real money to buy gifts for AI companions or unlock private videos.

Self-reported wellness outcomes

• ▪Joi AI reported that participants' self-reported cravings for nicotine, alcohol, junk food, and doomscrolling decreased by 44 percent after masturbation, though this claim is not scientifically verified.
• ▪Joi AI's study found that AI-guided masturbation scored a satisfaction level of 7.22 out of 10, which was comparable to but lower than toys (7.6), porn (7.31), and fantasies (7.27).
• ▪Based on 134 session reports, Joi AI claimed that participants' stress levels reduced by 25 percent, focus increased by 17 percent, and mental restlessness declined by 19 percent.

Male loneliness positioning

• ▪Joi AI positioned its study and its daily guided masturbation tool as wellness initiatives aimed at solving male loneliness.
• ▪Joi AI's official website promotes its services with the slogan "F#$K dating, welcome to AI-lationships," promising love, sex, and romance without the hassle of dating.

Expert concerns about AI relationships

• ▪Psychologists and sex therapists have expressed caution, disgust, and uncertainty regarding the impact of virtual AI partners on real-world human social interactions and behavioral patterns.
• ▪Critics argue that Joi AI's platform acts as an isolation machine that weaponizes wellness language to extract cash from vulnerable customers.