Instinct adds AI agent to group chats, even for friends without an account
Instinct, the AI agent now valued at $10 billion as of its latest funding round, is expanding into group chats. The startup announced on Monday that users will be able to add the agent to chats with friends. The source lists travel planning, snagging event tickets, running fantasy leagues, organizing carpools and managing who is bringing what to Thanksgiving as scenarios where this could help. The company said the group chats with the agent will work even if a user's friends have not joined Instinct.
On X, Instinct founder Noah Shinn explained how privacy and security work in group chats. A user's personal Instinct agent will ask permission before connecting with the group's Instinct agent, and users can choose which groups they trust and remove that trust at any time. The group's Instinct is siloed from users' personal accounts, which it cannot access. The personal agent will always ask the user's permission before sharing information or taking any action. If new members join a group chat, any pending replies from a user's personal Instinct agent are held before they are shared with the group.
Shinn wrote: "Making plans with friends usually turns into a frustrating back-and-forth over times and places. With Instinct in the group, you can explore options together, agree on a plan and get it done, all in one thread."
The feature is rolling out initially to Instinct's early access users and will expand to all users "soon." Users can ask their Instinct agent to put them on the list to try it out.
The launch comes amid a race among consumer AI agents. According to the source, Instinct moves ahead of top competitors such as Meta's Muse, which does not yet offer group chat functionality. Meta's older app, Meta AI, can be added to group chats on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Facebook. Instinct and Muse have been running neck and neck recently, and both added the ability to make phone calls over the past couple of weeks. Last week, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Dots, personal AI agents that can also be used in ChatGPT Spaces, collaborative workspaces where the Dots and humans work together.
Key facts
- Instinct announced on Monday that users can add its AI agent to group chats with friends, including friends who have not joined Instinct.
- Per Noah Shinn, a personal agent asks permission before connecting to the group's agent, and the group's agent cannot access users' personal accounts.
- The feature is rolling out first to early access users and will expand to all users "soon."
- Meta's Muse does not yet offer group chat; Meta's older Meta AI app can be added to group chats on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Facebook.
- Instinct is valued at $10 billion as of its latest funding round.
Why it matters
Group chat is the next front among consumer AI agents. Instinct and Muse have been neck and neck, both adding phone calls in recent weeks, and Instinct now offers group chats that Muse lacks. OpenAI, meanwhile, launched ChatGPT Dots last week, personal agents that also work in collaborative ChatGPT Spaces. Instinct's pitch is that planning with friends can happen in a single thread, with the agent in the room.
Who it affects
Early access Instinct users get the feature first. Their friends are affected too, since the group chats work even for people who have not joined Instinct. Competitors such as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's ChatGPT Dots are the products Instinct is measured against.
How to use it
Users can ask their Instinct agent to put them on the list to try the feature. Once in, they can add the agent to a chat with friends, for jobs such as travel planning, event tickets, fantasy leagues, carpools or Thanksgiving logistics. The wider rollout is promised "soon."
How solid is it
The report rests on Instinct's announcement and Noah Shinn's explanation on X, as relayed by TechCrunch. The privacy design is described by the founder, not tested independently. The $10 billion valuation is as of the latest funding round.
Risks and caveats
Group chats mix several people's information with an agent. Shinn says the group's agent cannot reach personal accounts and that the personal agent always asks permission before sharing information or acting, but these are the founder's own statements. The source gives no date for the wider rollout beyond "soon" and no figures on early access users. It does not describe how friends without an account interact with the agent.
“Making plans with friends usually turns into a frustrating back-and-forth over times and places. With Instinct in the group, you can explore options together, agree on a plan and get it done, all in one thread,”
— Noah Shinn, Instinct founder, on X