Joi AI, an artificial intelligence virtual companion company, hired 10 "masturbation consultants" for a 28-day experiment in July. Participants, who received US$ 2,000 each, were to masturbate daily, except on Sundays, and record mood, energy, desires, and focus before and after. Six of the ten completed the study. Wired reported on Friday (14).
Joi AI's preliminary analysis, which evaluated 134 session reports, indicated a 25% reduction in stress and a 17% increase in focus. The company also stated that cravings for nicotine, alcohol, junk food, and doomscrolling fell 44% after masturbation. There was no significant difference between AI-guided practice and other methods.
Before the study, Joi AI interviewed 2,500 adults; 75% said they masturbate to reduce stress and anxiety, and 43% before important events. For the company, the goal is to combat the taboo around masturbation and treat it as part of a wellness routine, especially for single people. Joi AI promotes a daily "guided masturbation" tool, combining sound and ritual, as part of its stated goal of "solving male loneliness."
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Neuroscientist Nicole Prause, who studies human sexuality and addiction, called the findings "a gross exaggeration" and said there is no scientific evidence that masturbation reduces vulnerability to substance abuse. She criticized the use of self-reports without objective markers, such as cognitive tests: "Someone saying 'I'm focused' is just that."
Prause acknowledged that masturbation to orgasm is a potent method of mood regulation, with reduced anxiety and increased relaxation among participants in her own study.
More than 150,000 people applied for the 10 spots. Five were selected by the company and five in public competitions, including one judged by porn actresses and another that sought the "most absurd fetish"; the winner had a balloon fetish.
Chloé Locatelli, a sex and technology researcher at King's College London, also participated in the study. She said masturbation brings physical and well-being benefits, but warned that the use of AI companions can become a "crutch" if it is the only form of sexual exploration.
