Why am I getting Instinct recommendations I didn't ask for?

What changed with Instinct recommendations this week?

Instinct has started sending curated product, dining and travel suggestions through a new feature called Instinct Selections, and some users are getting recommendations for things they never mentioned. The rollout started overnight on a Tuesday at the end of September 2026. Instinct is an AI agent that runs real errands over iMessage, WhatsApp and phone calls. It doesn't just draft an email or suggest a booking; it sends the email and makes the booking. So when it suddenly began mixing shopping picks into its usual work, people noticed fast. An assistant they trusted to act for them had started telling them what to buy, and that's a very different relationship.

The founder described the feature as a way to bring "human taste" into the product. The plan is to work with local chefs, designers, architects, travel guides and other experts, and to deliver recommendations that beat what you'd find online or get from another chatbot. His example was a hiker looking for a new trail, with Instinct suggesting routes picked by local guides. That sounds nice on paper. The company hasn't named those human partners, though, and it hasn't said whether it earns money from the picks. The timing adds context too: the launch came right after a $1 billion Series C that valued Instinct at $10 billion.

The backlash showed up within hours. One venture investor posted that they didn't need carry-on luggage, sunglasses or a brim hat, and asked the agent to at least list things they actually needed. Another user called it their first "ewwww" moment with an AI assistant. Instinct had suggested products based on their email and upcoming trips, including a to-go coffee flask because they subscribed to a coffee delivery service. This is Instinct's second rough week in a row. Days earlier, critics asked how it indexes, keeps and deletes user data. Here's my view: recommendations aren't the problem. The problem is that nobody asked for these ones.

Why does Instinct suggest products based on my email and trips?

Instinct suggests products based on your email and trips because it already has that context. To book flights, rebook dinners and send messages for you, an agent needs your inbox, calendar and travel plans. So it knows about the weekend in Lisbon, the coffee subscription and the conference next month. Instinct Selections takes what the agent already knows and turns it into shopping and travel lists. Nothing new is being collected in some shady way. The data you connected so it could do tasks is simply feeding a second purpose now. That second purpose is what bothers people, even if they can't quite say why at first.

The word for this is purpose drift. You shared your email so the agent could find a confirmation code, not so it could decide you need sunglasses. When a tool starts using your data for something you didn't sign up for, it feels like someone reading over your shoulder. The shallow guesses make it worse. "You're travelling, so buy luggage" isn't taste. It's a coupon. Critics made the same point: unsolicited picks only work when they're very personal. Anything less feels like spam or advertising. Rival agents from the bigger AI companies don't push unprompted product suggestions, and that makes Instinct's move look even odder.

Here's the contrarian part. A lot of people really like good recommendations. One early user who later stepped back from Instinct had praised its restaurant picks. What matters is who starts the conversation. If you ask "Where should I eat near the hotel tonight?" and get three great options, that's a service. If the agent brings up a flask while you're sorting out an invoice, that's an ad, however well chosen. Because Instinct hasn't said whether it's paid for these picks, users will start doubting every suggestion. Once people suspect a hidden commission, even the honest recommendations lose their value.

Can you turn off Instinct recommendations?

As of launch day, Instinct hasn't publicly described a dedicated switch to turn off Selections. So the honest answer is to check your own settings, and don't trust any guide that points to a specific toggle with confidence. Features tend to change quickly after a backlash like this one. Companies often add controls or soften a rollout within days once the complaints stack up. Until you see an official option, focus on what you can control: what you tell the agent, what you've connected to it, and how much you rely on it for the tasks you actually care about.

Start with the simplest step: tell it. Send something like "Please don't send me product or shopping suggestions unless I ask." Agents that run on chat often respect plain instructions, but test it for a few days before you trust it. Next, look at which accounts you've connected. If Instinct reads your email and you're uncomfortable with how it's using that, your email provider's security settings let you remove third-party access. Keep in mind that this will break any task that depends on your inbox. Last, send feedback through the company's support channel. Product teams watch complaint volume closely during a launch week, and specific examples carry more weight than general annoyance.

The bigger question is whether the trade-off still works for you. If you mostly use Instinct for travel bookings and it saves you hours, a few unwanted suggestions may be a price you'll accept. That's a fair choice. If what you really wanted was a quiet helper for everyday admin, like reminders, follow-ups and documents, then an assistant that pushes shopping lists isn't a good fit, and it's reasonable to look for an Instinct alternative. Don't switch in a panic, though. Spend a week noting what each tool does without being asked. Then compare that against what you actually need from it.

How do you judge whether an AI assistant only does what you ask?

Check who starts each conversation. An AI assistant that only does what you ask speaks up in two situations: when you've just asked it something, or when you told it earlier to get back to you at a set time. Anything else is the assistant putting its own agenda ahead of yours. That rule works for every tool on the market, whatever the brand. The table below turns it into a quick checklist. Go through it with any assistant you're considering, and pay attention to the gap between what the marketing promises and what actually shows up in your chat over a normal week.

Then test it with real messages. Send "Remind me to renew the car insurance on the 14th." A good assistant confirms the date, pings you on the 14th and does nothing else. It doesn't follow up with a list of cheaper insurers you never asked for. Then try "Find three hotels near the venue under 150 a night." You should get three hotels close to the venue and under your budget. You shouldn't get a bundled travel package, a luggage suggestion or a travel insurance pitch. If the assistant can't stay inside a request that clear, it won't stay inside a vaguer one.

Finally, check how it handles your data and memory. Memory is useful when you're in charge of it. "Remember I'm vegetarian and hate early flights" should shape the options you get when you ask for a restaurant or a flight. It shouldn't turn into a reason to sell you a cookbook. Ask the provider two plain questions: what does it read, and why? And how does it make money? If the answer to the second one is unclear, assume some suggestions could be sponsored. That isn't paranoia. It's the same caution you'd use with any friend who suddenly starts recommending one particular brand a lot.

Is Agent Sonic a good Instinct alternative if you just want admin handled?

Yes, if what you want is a WhatsApp assistant that takes care of the admin you hand it and stays quiet otherwise. Agent Sonic lives in WhatsApp as a normal contact. There's no app to install and no dashboard to check, and it only comes back with suggestions when you ask. To be fair, Sonic isn't a travel booking engine, and that's a real difference if booking is why you use Instinct. Sonic handles reminders, to-dos, notes, documents, web searches, calendar entries and group coordination. If that sounds like your week, an AI assistant in WhatsApp with no app to install is worth a look.

Here's what ask-first looks like on an ordinary Tuesday. "Every Monday at 9, remind me to send invoices" sets up a recurring reminder that fires on schedule and adds nothing else. You forward a supplier contract as a PDF and ask "What are the deadlines and penalties in this?" and you get the key terms in plain English. "Find three hotels near the venue under 150 a night" runs a live web search and returns options. Picking one is up to you. "Add dentist Thursday at 3pm to my calendar" goes straight into Google Calendar. If typing is a hassle, send a voice note, and Sonic can reply with one.

Even the part that contacts other people works on an ask-first basis. With outreach tasks, a Pro plan feature currently in Beta that may be paused from time to time, you might say "Ask Dana when the invoice will be ready and let me know." Sonic shows you the exact first message before anything goes out, and nothing is sent until you reply "yes." It writes from its own number, introduces itself as your assistant, and reports back once it has the answer. The tutorial on how the assistant messages people for you walks through it. When you're ready, get access here to receive Sonic's number and onboarding.

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