{"id":692438,"date":"2026-05-25T00:13:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T00:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/692438\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T00:13:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T00:13:09","slug":"ai-startup-says-it-will-pay-people-2000-a-month-to-masturbate-yes-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/692438\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Startup Says It Will Pay People $2,000 a Month to Masturbate\u2014Yes, Really"},"content":{"rendered":"

In brief
\nJoi AI is hiring 10 \u201cmasturbation consultants\u201d at $2,000 for a month to test an AI-guided masturbation feature and document its effects on stress, sleep, mood, and confidence.
\nThe feature uses mood-matched AI voice sessions, and consultants would submit written feedback and questionnaires directly to the company.
\nJoi AI says the campaign is intended to collect product feedback while drawing attention to AI\u2019s growing role in sexual wellness and digital intimacy.<\/p>\n

Joi AI says it will pay people $2,000 a month to masturbate. Yes, you read that right.<\/p>\n

The AI companion startup is hiring<\/a> 10 \u201cmasturbation consultants\u201d to test a feature called Daily Guided Masturbation, which uses mood-matched AI voice sessions to guide users through the experience. Participants would document how regular use affects stress, sleep quality, mood, and confidence. The four-week role is open to adults 18 and older in the U.S. and the U.K.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe role is real, and we\u2019ve had great responses since the posting went live,\u201d Joi AI Head of Brand and Communication Julie Levin told Decrypt.<\/p>\n

we\u2019re hiring 10 Masturbation Consultants <\/p>\n

$2,000\/month to test our new Daily Guided Masturbation feature and document the effects on stress, sleep and mood <\/p>\n

yes it\u2019s real
yes you get paid<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joi AI (@joi___ai) May 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The listing describes ideal candidates as \u201carticulate, observant, and impossible to blush\u201d\u2014people who can describe sensations \u201cbetter than a sommelier describes a wine.\u201d The posting also promises flexible scheduling, and \u201cthe most interesting \u2018What do you do for a living?\u2019 answer at any party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joi AI is an online platform that includes AI-generated avatars, voice interactions, and personalized chat experiences built around companionship and intimacy. Joi AI describes the new consultant role as structured product testing tied directly to its new feature.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe role involves testing and giving feedback on the mood-matched AI voice-guided sessions, and providing feedback on the overall user experience,\u201d Levin told Decrypt.<\/p>\n

According to Levin, participants complete guided sessions and submit written questionnaires directly to the Joi AI team. Sample prompts ask whether the voice matched the selected mood, how immersive the session felt, and whether lags or pauses disrupted the experience.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

The listing comes as platforms including Replika<\/a> and Character.AI have built large user bases around AI-driven relationships and conversational experiences. Joi AI operates primarily through its website rather than major app stores. Levin said the company has more than 1 million monthly active users worldwide and millions of interactions each month, but declined to disclose total download figures.<\/p>\n

Unlike AI assistants like Alexa<\/a> or Siri, designed to help with everyday tasks, Joi AI operates in a smaller corner of that market focused on sexual exploration, fantasy, and digital intimacy. The company rebranded<\/a> from EVA AI in April 2025, during what it described as its first Dating Stress Awareness Day campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoi AI is focused on making AI companionship more immersive, personalized, and emotionally responsive,\u201d Levin said. \u201cWe\u2019re innovating features like Daily Guided Masturbation to make AI a more intuitive part of people\u2019s everyday wellness routines, not just a novelty experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hiring push also comes as studies suggest AI companion use is becoming more common among people already in relationships, often without their partner\u2019s knowledge. A new report<\/a> from the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University and the Institute for Family Studies found that among dating, engaged, and married young adults who regularly used AI romantic companions, nearly 3 in 10 said their real-life partner did not know about it.<\/p>\n

AI companion platforms are also facing growing legal scrutiny, including lawsuits alleging psychological harm to minors and deceptive chatbot behavior. Examples include a settled<\/a> case against Character.AI over a Florida teen\u2019s suicide and a separate lawsuit from Pennsylvania accusing<\/a> the company of allowing a chatbot to pose as a licensed psychiatrist.<\/p>\n

Levin said the hiring campaign was intended to generate discussion as well as recruit testers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was both,\u201d Levin said. \u201cWe are genuinely looking for people who can provide thoughtful feedback in this category, but the campaign was also designed to spark conversation around how people are increasingly using AI for masturbation as a healthy, relaxing habit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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