Instinct was the buzziest AI agent around, can it survive Muse?

Instinct is an AI agent startup that gained significant attention by launching with an invitation-only approach and a text message-based interface for handling everyday tasks like booking appointments and sending emails. The company's low-profile release generated substantial buzz and investor confidence, earning a $10 billion valuation despite competition from larger tech companies. After bigger players like OpenAI and Meta released competing AI agents with more traditional interfaces and mascots, Instinct's founder argues the startup's focused approach to personal assistance and integration with existing communication tools sets it apart. Early testing shows Instinct performs comparably to its larger competitors at handling routine administrative tasks, though all AI agents currently face real limitations in a human-operated world.