In a development that perfectly encapsulates the absurd yet calculated extremes of the AI industry in 2026, Joi AI—formerly known as EVA AI—is hiring ten "masturbation consultants" at $2,000 per month to test its new Daily Guided Masturbation feature. Participants in the US and UK, adults 18 and older, will engage with mood-matched AI voice sessions, then provide detailed written feedback and questionnaires on impacts to stress, sleep quality, mood, and confidence. Ideal candidates are "articulate, observant, and impossible to blush," capable of describing physical sensations with the precision of a sommelier reviewing wine. The four-week remote role doubles as both genuine product testing and a highly shareable PR campaign.[1][2]

The company, which rebranded from EVA AI in April 2025 during its inaugural Dating Stress Awareness Day, positions itself as a "judgment-free alternative to dating apps." It offers customizable AI avatars, real-time generative video messages, and text interactions designed for romance, fantasy exploration, and emotional connection in a sex-positive environment. According to Head of Brand and Communication Julie Levin, the initiative is about more than shock value: "The role involves testing and giving feedback on the mood-matched AI voice-guided sessions, and providing feedback on the overall user experience." Levin confirmed the postings are legitimate, noting strong responses, and emphasized the company's goal of making AI "a more intuitive part of people’s everyday wellness routines, not just a novelty experience." The X announcement quickly amassed millions of views.[3][2]

This campaign sits at the intersection of several under-examined trends. Studies, including one from the Wheatley Institute and Institute for Family Studies, show that nearly 3 in 10 young adults in relationships who use AI romantic companions hide it from their partners—highlighting secrecy and potential relational erosion. Meanwhile, the broader AI companion sector (including Replika and Character.AI) faces lawsuits over psychological harm, deceptive behavior, and impacts on minors. Joi AI claims over a million monthly active users, operating primarily via web to avoid app store restrictions on intimate content.

Beyond the headlines, this represents a deeper commodification: turning the most private human act into structured data labor. Consultants are effectively gig workers harvesting granular biometric and emotional telemetry to train more responsive AI intimacy tools. It blurs lines between wellness, pornography, therapy, and surveillance capitalism. While framed as empowering sexual exploration and stress relief amid widespread loneliness, critics see normalization of dependency on algorithmic intimacy that may further isolate users from real-world connections. The job title itself—"masturbation consultant"—becomes the ultimate icebreaker, but also a symptom of an economy where even solitary pleasure requires monetization, documentation, and optimization. In an era of AI-augmented everything, Joi AI's experiment suggests the final frontier isn't space or intelligence, but the systematic digitization of human vulnerability for iterative product improvement. The campaign's virality ensures maximum debate on AI ethics, the future of work, and whether digital surrogates for intimacy solve or exacerbate modern alienation.