At a Glance
- Dating coach Matthew Hussey charges $39/month for “Matthew AI,” which has already handled 1 million+ conversations and 1.9 million voice-chat minutes.
- Tony Robbins asks $99/month for his life-coach bot after suing a copycat service, while spiritual teacher David Ghiyam offers a $1/month sliding-scale bot versus his $15,000/hour private rate.
- The bots ingest each guru’s books, lectures, and interviews to mimic their voice and style, but cannot actually know users’ personal situations.
Why it matters: Vulnerable people seeking affordable emotional support are paying monthly fees for AI that imitates-but cannot replace-human insight.
Millions of people turn to AI chatbots for emotional support when they cannot afford traditional help. Self-help leaders have spotted the trend and begun selling AI versions of themselves. According to News Of Fort Worth, these gurus load their bots with every book, lecture, and interview, then charge subscriptions for “personalized” advice in their trademark style.
Price Tags Vary Wildly
Costs depend on the expert:
- Matthew Hussey – $39/month for dating-coach bot
- Tony Robbins – $99/month after a $0.99 14-day trial
- David Ghiyam – $1/month on a sliding scale (vs. $15,000/hour live coaching)
- Gabby Bernstein – $199/year for Gabby AI
Hussey’s bot has already logged 1 million conversations and 1.9 million voice minutes, per the Wall Street Journal.
What the Bots Actually Do
The AI re-creates each guru’s tone by remixing their existing content. Users type or speak questions and receive answers that sound authentic. The system never learns private details; it simply pattern-matches against stored material.
Hussey admitted to the Journal, “I literally can’t do what it is doing,” referring to the scale. Yet he also conceded the bot lacks true understanding of individual relationships.
Who Controls the Code
Most gurus outsource development. Bernstein’s Gabby AI is built by Delphi AI, a VC-backed startup that specializes in turning self-help brands into chatbot services. After Tony Robbins sued an unlicensed copycat, he launched his own official version through a similar third-party platform.
The Business Model
The industry sees a captive audience: people in distress who want low-cost guidance. By packaging existing content into conversational software, gurus create new recurring revenue without proportional labor. Whether the tools help users long-term remains an open question, but the income stream is already proven.
Key Takeaways
- Subscription chatbots let self-help figures monetize fans 24/7.
- Prices range from $1 to $99 per month, far below live-coaching fees.
- The AI mimics style, not genuine insight, because it cannot grasp personal context.
- Third-party startups handle the tech, taking cuts while gurus retain branding control.
