Instinct's New AI Feature Faces Backlash Over Unwelcome Product Recommendations

The AI startup Instinct has launched a new feature called Instinct Selections, aimed at providing personalized product recommendations in sectors like dining, travel, and shopping. - Founder Noah Shinn revealed the feature partners with local experts to bring "human taste" into AI-driven recommendations. - Users have reported dissatisfaction, labeling these suggestions as intrusive and irrelevant, likened to unsolicited advertisements. Shruti Gandhi, a general partner at Array VC, criticized the move on X, comparing it to a poor Amazon product suggestion tool. - Andrew Yeung, an entrepreneur, and Chat Joglekar, founder of a business marketplace, echoed similar frustrations about irrelevant product suggestions. - Users expressed a desire for recommendations that are more personalized and arise naturally during interactions, contrasting Instinct's current approach with competitors like Meta and OpenAI, who avoid such intrusive features. - The introduction comes on the heels of Instinct's significant $1 billion Series C funding round, valuing the company at $10 billion. Despite the negative feedback, the company believes in the potential of monetizing this feature through affiliate marketing or advertising. - Instinct has not clarified if they are currently generating revenue through these recommendations.