Instinct Expands AI Agent to Group Chats, Works Even If Friends Aren't Users

Instinct, a conversational AI agent now valued at $10 billion after its latest funding round, is expanding beyond one-on-one conversations into group settings. The company announced Monday that users can now invite the agent into group chats with friends—even those who haven't signed up for Instinct themselves.

Rolling Out to Early Testers#

The feature is launching initially to early access participants and will become available to the broader user base "soon." Those interested can request access through their personal Instinct agent.

What the Feature Enables#

Instinct positions the group chat functionality as useful for collaborative coordination tasks. The agent could help organize travel itineraries, purchase event tickets, run fantasy sports leagues, coordinate rides, or manage task delegation for gatherings like holiday dinners. Rather than piecing together plans across scattered messages, the agent can help the group align on options and decisions in a single conversation thread.

Privacy and Security Architecture#

Instinct founder Noah Shinn outlined how the platform safeguards user data in multi-person settings. The personal agent must request permission before linking to a group's shared agent. Users retain control over which groups they trust and can revoke access at any time. Critically, the group agent is kept separate from personal accounts and cannot access individual data.

The system also holds any pending replies from a user's personal agent when new group members join, ensuring information isn't shared with newcomers without consent.

Competitive Positioning#

The move positions Instinct ahead of rival Meta's Muse, which hasn't yet introduced group chat support. Meta's standalone AI app does support group conversations on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook, but Muse itself lacks this capability. Both Instinct and Muse recently added calling functionality as part of a broader race for consumer AI adoption, while OpenAI has launched its own personal agents called ChatGPT Dots that operate within collaborative workspaces.