Instinct has expanded its AI agent into group chats, allowing users to add the $10 billion startup's assistant to conversations with friends for tasks like travel planning and event organization. The company announced on Monday that this new functionality works even when participants do not have an Instinct account. Founder Noah Shinn explained that the feature helps friends coordinate plans in a single thread without frustrating back-and-forth messaging.
The rollout places Instinct ahead of competitors like Meta’s Muse, which lacks group chat functionality, though older Meta AI tools are integrated into apps like WhatsApp and Messenger. Instinct and Muse recently introduced phone calling capabilities, while OpenAI launched ChatGPT Dots for collaborative workspaces. To address privacy concerns, Shinn stated that a user's personal Instinct agent asks for permission before connecting to a group agent, remains siloed from personal accounts, and holds pending replies if new members join.
The feature is initially rolling out to early access users before a broader release. Users can request access to the new group chat tools directly through their personal Instinct agents.
Why it matters: This expansion allows AI assistants to coordinate directly between multiple people, potentially changing how groups handle collaborative planning and communication.