Instinct adds human-curated recommendations to its AI agent
By Automate Basics, written with AI from TechCrunch's original
Instinct has introduced Selections, a feature that brings recommendations from human contributors into its AI agent. TechCrunch reports that some users received shopping suggestions they had not requested, a concern for anyone using an assistant to plan work travel or purchases.
What changed with Instinct Selections
TechCrunch reports that Instinct has begun sending users product suggestions through a feature called Instinct Selections. Founder Noah Shinn says the company plans to work with people such as chefs, designers and local guides to add human-curated recommendations to the AI agent. The suggested areas include shopping, dining and travel.
The recommendations are not limited to answers people request. TechCrunch describes users receiving suggestions without asking for them, including products connected to upcoming trips. One user said suggestions appeared to draw on information in email and travel plans. That is the user’s account, not an explanation from Instinct of how the feature chooses what to send.
Who can use Instinct Selections, and what does it cost?
Instinct Selections has reached some users of the company’s AI agent, according to TechCrunch. The report does not specify which plans include it, how widely it is available or whether users can choose to receive suggestions. It also gives no price for the feature.
For someone using an AI assistant at work, the clearest possible fit is a task that already calls for recommendations, such as planning a work trip or comparing places for a team meal. Instinct has not presented Selections as a dedicated business purchasing tool. TechCrunch says the company has not disclosed whether it earns money from the recommendations, so readers cannot assume how suggested products are selected or funded.
How do I try Instinct Selections at work?
A work trip is a sensible first task if Instinct Selections appears in your agent. Ask for recommendations that match a specific need and budget, then check each suggestion against your travel policy, location and actual plans. For a team meal, check practical details such as suitability for the group before relying on a recommendation.
Pay particular attention to suggestions you did not request. TechCrunch reports complaints from users who received shopping ideas they felt were irrelevant. Treat those as proposals to assess, not evidence that the agent knows what you need. The source does not identify Instinct’s human contributors or explain how a particular recommendation is chosen, so verify important details independently before making a work purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Are Instinct Selections recommendations made by AI or people?
Instinct says Selections is intended to bring recommendations curated by people, including local experts, into its AI agent. The agent then presents suggestions to users. TechCrunch reports that Instinct has not identified the individual contributors, so the source does not establish who selected any particular recommendation.
Can Instinct Selections send suggestions I did not ask for?
Yes, TechCrunch reports that some users received product suggestions without requesting them. Users described recommendations tied to travel plans and, in one account, information in email. The report does not say whether users can control these suggestions or how Instinct decides when to send them.
Related reading
OpenAI adds virtual try-on and saved products to ChatGPTTechCrunch reports that OpenAI has launched virtual try-on and product Favorites in ChatGPT worldwide. People comparing clothing and accessories, including retail staff assembling looks, can preview items using their photos and save products for later.
Google adds spoken camera guidance to Gemini Live on AndroidGoogle’s Guided Vision is launching in Gemini Live on compatible Android devices. It describes what a phone camera sees aloud, helping people with low vision read small text, locate objects and ask follow-up questions.
Google makes Meet and Teams meeting room devices interoperableGoogle has made meeting access between Google Meet hardware and Microsoft Teams Rooms devices generally available on compatible Android-based equipment. Workplaces can use those room devices to join meetings hosted on the other service.
Written with AI from TechCrunch's original and published after automatic checks: every figure here appears in the original, and no sentence is copied from it. The picture is AI-generated. The original is the authority.
Source: Instinct’s new product recommendations are giving some users the ick, TechCrunch, 30 Sept 2026.