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

Before there were cute little guys, there was Instinct.

In August, the startup got its AI agent to market with an unusual playbook: invite-only, no marketing, and barely so much as a website. And yet, Instinct quickly became the buzziest thing in AI, garnering praise for its straightforward, text message-based interface and its ability to handle chores like booking DMV appointments and sending follow-up emails.

Then Muse arrived, followed not long after by Dots. The same products, more or less, from two far more powerful companies.

With Big Tech players suddenly in the mix, it was looking dubious that the startup’s buzzy launch could keep it ahead of the competition. But in my own testing, Instinct has held its own against the other two agents, handling online tasks about as well as a robot can. And Instinct’s founder, Noah Shinn, is unfazed by the rising competition.