In the crowded race to dominate artificial intelligence, tech firms have promised everything from smarter workplaces to more human-like companionship. Now, one startup is drawing attention for something far more intimate.Joi, an AI chatbot platform known for hosting flirtatious virtual companions, says it is looking for 10 'masturbation consultants' to help test a new feature called Daily Guided Masturbation. The role pays $2,000 per month for a four-week study.
The announcement quickly spread across social media. 'Yes, it's real, yes you get paid,' the company wrote in a viral post that attracted millions of views online. For some, it became an internet comedy. For others, it exposed a deeper conversation about loneliness, intimacy and the expanding reach of AI into private human experiences.
The recruitment campaign reads like a mix of scientific study and social media performance. Applicants must be over 18 and based in the UK or US. According to the company, selected participants will test AI-generated voice guidance during masturbation sessions four days a week. They will then document how the experience affects stress levels, mood, confidence, and sleep quality.
The advert asks for candidates who are 'articulate, observant, and impossible to blush.' Joi says the feature uses a 'mood-matched AI voice' to guide users through personalised sessions. Participants are also expected to complete questionnaires about the experience, including whether the AI voice felt natural and whether technical delays interrupted the session.
The company has continued to joke about the campaign online. 'No references required', Joi wrote in another social media post. 'We trust your years of experience speak for themselves.' Yet behind the humour sits a serious commercial strategy.
I'm looking forward to rubbing one out for scientific progress
Joi is part of a rapidly growing market focused on AI companionship. The platform allows users to create and interact with chatbot characters designed to simulate emotional or romantic connection. Some chatbots are modelled on real-life adult performers and influencers.
The company argues thatAI companionship appsare responding to a wider social problem rather than creating one. In a recent statement shared online, Joi claimed that nearly one in four young men in the US experiences loneliness daily. The company suggested that the rapid rise of AI companion apps reflects changing social behaviour and declining human connection.
The argument has resonated with some users who view AI companions as emotional support tools rather than replacements for real relationships. Others remain deeply uneasy. Critics argue that emotionally responsive AI systems could encourage dependence and blur the line between companionship and manipulation.
Thank you for the opportunity 🩵🫶pic.twitter.com/5KEAAavI5v
Source: International Business Times UK
