On Thursday, May 28, 2026, Joi, a startup blending AI and adult content, made headlines by offering $2,000 per month to 10 “masturbation consultants” for a four-week study testing a new daily guided masturbation feature powered by chatbots.

This unusual job aims to explore how AI-guided self-stimulation affects stress, sleep, and mood, highlighting the growing role of artificial intelligence in intimate and emotional experiences. Joi’s original announcement quickly went viral, amassing over 16.7 million views with messages like “Yes, it’s real, yes, you get paid” and “No references required.”

Joi hosts a wide range of chatbots, many female-presenting and scantily clad, designed to provide companionship and intimacy. The company, first introduced in January 2026, focuses on combating loneliness through AI conversational partners, some modeled after real adult film actresses and models.

Why is AI companionship booming? Joi reports a 700% increase in AI companion app usage over three years, linking this surge to social isolation. They note that nearly one in four young men in the U.S. feels lonely daily, framing AI apps not as the problem but as a symptom to address.

However, experts urge caution. Research published by Elsevier outlines both benefits and risks of romantic AI companions:
– **Potential benefits:** personal growth, emotional connection, social support, customization, sexual connection, and stress relief.
– **Risks:** user dependency, manipulation, stigma-related shame, data misuse, harm to human relationships, reinforcement of biases, emotional disconnect from glitches, discomfort from the “uncanny valley,” and concerns about coercion or premature sexual content exposure.

Joi’s experiment opens a window into how technology is reshaping intimacy and self-care, raising important questions about the future of human connection in an increasingly digital world. For migrants and millennials navigating new social landscapes, understanding these shifts can offer insight into emerging forms of emotional support—and the challenges they bring.