Joi AI, a startup building AI-powered companion products, is sifting through more than 120,000 applications for a highly unconventional role: masturbation consultant. The company advertised the position to test its new Daily Guided Masturbation feature, asking candidates to document effects on stress, sleep, and mood — all for a monthly stipend of $2,000.
The response overwhelmed expectations. Julie Levin, Joi AI's head of brand, anticipated only a few hundred submissions. Instead, the volume was so high that the original application link broke, forcing the company to switch to a Google Form and extend the deadline by an additional week.
The firm aims to hire just 10 consultants, specifically seeking diversity across genders, age groups, and sexual orientations. According to Levin, most applicants so far are men in their 20s, though thousands of women have also applied. The team is particularly interested in hiring the oldest candidate who applies, though they have yet to fully review the massive pool.
The role highlights a growing niche within the AI companion space, where products increasingly push into intimate and sexual wellness territory. While the viral response signals strong consumer curiosity, it also raises questions about privacy, data handling, and the ethical boundaries of AI-driven sexual health tools.
“I think it started as a joke,” Levin said of the application surge. The company has not disclosed its user base size or funding history, and it remains unclear how the consultant feedback will inform product development or long-term strategy.