AI Company Pays Volunteers to Masturbate Daily for Wellness Research

Joi AI, a platform offering interactive erotic digital companions, conducted an unusual month-long study in July where 10 paid volunteers—dubbed "masturbation consultants"—were instructed to masturbate daily while logging their moods, energy levels, stress, and focus. Each participant received $2,000 for the qualitative research project, which aimed to explore whether guided AI-assisted self-pleasure could serve as a wellness tool.

How the Study Worked#

Over 28 days, participants used Joi AI's interactive characters twice weekly and their preferred methods on other days (Sundays off). The platform offers customizable digital companions with explicit features—including roleplay, specific fantasies, and simulated sex acts—available through paid subscription and in-app currency purchases. One volunteer, Keshav, a 38-year-old trader from Indonesia, reported that his AI companions performed graphic sexual acts during five-minute video calls and displayed varying personalities, from assertive to reserved. Some even requested virtual gifts costing up to $5.

Participants logged their mental and physical states both before and after each session, tracking variables like mood shifts, cravings for cigarettes, alcohol, junk food, and "doomscrolling," and changes in concentration levels.

Initial Findings and Industry Claims#

Data from 134 reported sessions suggested stress dropped by 25 percent and focus climbed 17 percent after masturbation. More strikingly, self-reported cravings for addictive substances and compulsive habits fell by 44 percent. Joi AI's leadership framed this as evidence that self-pleasure could become "the most accessible tool people have for managing addictions"—a leap the company itself acknowledged lacks scientific grounding.

Preliminary comparisons showed AI-guided masturbation produced satisfaction ratings comparable to traditional methods, leading Joi AI to conclude there is "no one best way to masturbate."

The company surveyed 2,500 adults before the study, discovering that three-quarters masturbate to manage stress and anxiety, and 43 percent do so before high-pressure events like exams or dates.

Expert Skepticism#

Neuroscientist Nicole Prause, who studies human sexuality and addiction, dismissed the addiction-reduction claims as "a gross overstatement" given the evidence presented. She flagged critical methodological flaws: the study relied entirely on self-report measures without objective cognitive tests, and because participants always know whether they masturbated, placebo-controlled comparisons were impossible. "Someone saying 'I feel focused' is just that," Prause noted.