Over 150,000 People Signed Up to Masturbate With AI. Here’s Why
Key Takeaways
- According to Decrypt, AI companion company Joi AI received more than 150,000 applications for just 10 paid “masturbation consultant” positions, each offering $2,000.
- Decrypt reports the month-long study began on July 1 and runs through July, with participants completing daily surveys on stress, mood, sleep, loneliness and other wellness measures while using Joi AI’s Daily Guided Masturbation feature.
- Decrypt notes the broader NSFW and romantic AI companion app market has generated $427 million in consumer spending since 2022, according to app intelligence platform Appfigures.
What Actually Happened
In May, Joi AI, a virtual companion and NSFW role-play platform, announced it would pay 10 people $2,000 each to participate in a study testing its AI-guided masturbation feature, according to Decrypt. The company expected the offer to attract attention, but the response overwhelmed its internal planning. Decrypt reports that more than 150,000 people applied, forcing Joi AI to build and publish a formal selection process it had not originally planned to create.
Julie Levin, Head of Brand and Communications at Joi AI, told Decrypt the company had not anticipated needing a structured application system before the campaign went viral. She said the goal was to select a group of 10 participants who varied by gender, age and preference, so the resulting data would reflect a range of experiences rather than a narrow demographic slice.
Decrypt reports that applicants came from around the world, with the largest concentrations from the United States and Nigeria. Most applicants were men in their 20s, though Levin told Decrypt that women applied in meaningful numbers as well. Some applicants submitted unusual justifications for their suitability, including a professional sommelier, a former sex worker, and a handyman, each framing their background as relevant qualification, according to Decrypt.
The study itself began on July 1 and is scheduled to run through the end of July. Participants complete three daily surveys tracking indicators such as stress, mood, loneliness, sleep quality, self-esteem, screen time and cravings, both before and after using the Daily Guided Masturbation feature, Decrypt reports. Participants are also asked to evaluate the feature and suggest improvements. Levin told Decrypt that the $2,000 payment is meant to compensate participants for the time commitment of daily reporting, not to monetize the activity itself, and that results will inform whether Joi AI expands the project into a larger study.
Why the Response Was So Large
Levin attributed the scale of interest to a broader pattern of social isolation, telling Decrypt that AI companionship has been shown to reduce feelings of loneliness in ways that differ from typical social media use. She said many users initially arrive at Joi AI for adult content but remain engaged for ongoing conversation, a pattern she linked to the company’s internal research into what it calls “AI-sexuality”—people who form romantic or sexual attachments to AI companions. Decrypt notes that researchers have also used the terms “digisexuality,” “AIsexual,” and “wiresexual” to describe similar dynamics.
Two participants, identified by Decrypt using the pseudonyms Tango Mike and Keshav, described their motivations beyond the payment. Tango Mike said his interest stemmed from curiosity about how AI is reshaping intimacy and connection, while acknowledging the compensation made the opportunity more appealing. Keshav, who said he had never previously used an adult AI companion, told Decrypt he hoped the experience would help him build confidence in real-world relationships, describing himself as someone who struggles to express himself to women in person.
Decrypt also cites a May study by researchers at Brigham Young University, the Institute for Family Studies, and the Wheatley Institute, which found that 69% of young adults who regularly use AI romantic companions hide this behavior from their partners. Levin told Decrypt that despite this secrecy, many Joi AI users shift over time from requesting explicit content toward spending more time in conversation with their companions, a trend the company sees as central to its case that masturbation can be discussed as part of a normal wellness routine rather than a taboo subject.
For readers who follow digital assets and emerging tech markets, this episode is a reminder that consumer demand for AI companionship products is real and measurable, not speculative branding. Appfigures’ estimate of $427 million in spending on NSFW and romantic AI apps since 2022, cited by Decrypt, illustrates that this corner of the AI economy already commands significant consumer dollars, a detail relevant to anyone tracking how AI-adjacent sectors attract capital and user attention alongside crypto and tech markets.
Hype Check
Claim: The viral job posting suggests overwhelming public appetite for AI-guided sexual wellness products. Reality: Decrypt confirms the numbers are real—more than 150,000 applicants for 10 paid roles, $2,000 compensation, and a July-long study—but the underlying research remains a small, company-run pilot with limited participants, not a peer-reviewed or independently verified wellness study. Verdict: Mixed. This is not financial advice.
Source
Researched with AI assistance, fact-checked and edited by a human. Not financial advice.