AI startup Instinct has introduced Instinct Selections, a new feature that pushes unsolicited product recommendations to users, drawing negative initial reactions. Founder Noah Shinn announced the feature on Tuesday, explaining that it aims to curate personalized lists for dining, travel, and shopping by partnering with human experts like local chefs, designers, and guides. The company hopes this human-curated approach will deliver superior quality compared to standard chatbot suggestions, though specific human partners were not named.
However, the rollout has frustrated several users who received unrequested product suggestions. Venture capitalist Shruti Gandhi, entrepreneur Andrew Yeung, and founder Chat Joglekar all took to social media to express disappointment and discomfort over the sudden commercial pushes based on their emails and upcoming trips. The feature arrived shortly after Instinct secured a $1 billion Series C funding round, valuing the company at $10 billion, while Shinn noted the platform is approaching a billion dollars in annual transactions.
This move risks alienating users as Instinct competes against rival agents from major companies like Meta and OpenAI that currently avoid such unsolicited pushes. Whether the feature is generating revenue remains unconfirmed, though it appears poised for potential advertising or commerce integration.
Why it matters: Instinct's stumble highlights the delicate balance AI companies must strike between monetization and user trust when introducing commercial features to autonomous assistants.