Fintech
Meta’s Muse skyrocketed to the top of Apple’s App Store within 10 days of launch, dethroning ChatGPT. This rapid ascent signals a shift from passive chatbots to proactive AI agents that don’t just answer questions—they complete tasks. Muse can book travel, send emails, negotiate bills, and even shop on your behalf. Unlike traditional chatbots, it operates in the background, filling forms and returning only when it needs approval. Other agents like Instinct, which operates via text message, offer similar capabilities. However, Instinct’s waitlist keeps its user base small compared to Meta’s reach. Both require users to grant extensive permissions, including access to accounts and payment methods. Instinct’s terms allow it to make purchases and accept agreements, binding users legally. In a PYMNTS test, Muse felt more personal than a chatbot. Asked to order toilet paper, it presented options but took over five minutes. It couldn’t shop at Amazon or Walmart without shared credentials. Payment was processed through Link, Stripe’s checkout wallet. A TechRadar reviewer tested Muse on a low-stakes shorts purchase; the agent asked for his size and returned with options and a sale price within minutes. After granting inbox access, Muse found an unopened notice from his power company about a solar panel inspection. He selected a date, and a drafted reply awaited approval a minute later. Both tasks succeeded, but granting access was the hard part.
Instinct’s testers reported similar mixed results. Investor Katie Jacobs Stanton praised the product but noted it sent an email without checking first. ‘One unauthorized action can reset that trust to zero,’ she wrote. Another user disconnected the agent from Google at 11 a.m. but received an email summary at 2 p.m. Indexed data remains in use after disconnect unless deletion is requested. Checkout is the deciding factor. Link, with over 300 million users, enables Muse to check out at over a million businesses using saved payment methods. Elsewhere, Link issues a single-use virtual card for approved purchases. ‘Stripe is building the infrastructure that lets agents buy from businesses,’ said Jay Shah, Stripe’s business lead for Link. Instinct handles purchases differently: the user is the buyer, and Instinct is not a party to the sale, with liability capped at $100 or the product price. Consumer interest is high, with 69% willing to delegate grocery shopping and subscription management to an agent. Among them, 49% would allow both routine and larger purchases. Banks, digital wallets, and card networks are most trusted. Yet only 23% of U.S. consumers trust generative AI for payments. Agents pick up where chatbots stop. Today, they’re slow and require passwords, inbox access, and payment methods. Closing those gaps could make chatbots obsolete.