Instinct AI Bot Showcases True Frictionless Travel Booking
Created by 23-year-old Noah Shinn, the viral AI assistant Instinct is taking Silicon Valley by storm with text-based travel booking via SMS and WhatsApp.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Instinct is a text-based AI assistant created by 23-year-old Noah Shinn.
- It allows users to book and manage travel entirely through SMS and WhatsApp.
- The bot has captured strong attention from prominent venture capitalists.
- While offering frictionless execution, it raises privacy and accuracy concerns.
The tech scene in Silicon Valley is currently buzzing over Instinct, a freshman artificial intelligence assistant developed by 23-year-old founder Noah Shinn, which handles travel tasks with remarkable ease through simple messaging.
Excitement surged after Brad Gerstner, founder of Altimeter Capital, shared a screenshot demonstrating the bot successfully booking a hotel room via a basic text message. Gerstner noted on X.com that a bet he and friend Bill Gurley made two years ago regarding consumer AI seamlessly booking a hotel room has now become a reality thanks to Shinn and his creation.
Operating entirely through SMS and WhatsApp, the invite-only agent removes unnecessary complexity. Shinn highlighted in an X post that there are no new interfaces to learn, as users can simply text or call the assistant.
"There are no new interfaces. You can text or call it."
Noah Shinn

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Despite its viral success and backing from the venture capital community, the assistant is not without flaws. It has previously quoted incorrect hotel rates and bypassed standard confirmation safeguards, sparking valid concerns regarding trust, data privacy, and permissions that prompted the startup to revise its terms.
The rise of hyper-efficient messaging-based AI agents highlights a fundamental shift in how consumers interact with digital services. For established travel brands, this trend serves as a wake-up call that generalist AI interfaces could potentially dominate the customer-facing storefront experience.
Source: Skift
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment