[Instinct and Muse Share the Same Idea: Free Agents, Commission-Based Revenue] Beating AI News: Noah Shinn, founder of personal AI Agent Instinct, discussed in his first in-depth public interview how the company plans to make money. Shinn hopes that Instinct can eventually remain free in the long term, without charging users a subscription fee. After the Agent completes transactions like booking hotels or shopping for users, Instinct would then charge a small commission from the merchants who receive the orders. However, this is currently just a goal, and Instinct has not yet committed to being permanently free. Shinn also made it clear that he does not want to rely on advertising. Personal Agents will increasingly understand users and become better at influencing their decisions. If the platform makes money through ads, the Agent might start persuading users to buy things they originally didn’t intend to. Shinn prefers that Instinct earns revenue only from transactions users were already planning to complete. The exact commission rate has not been determined yet. Shinn referenced the commission models of platforms like Shopify, Amazon, and Apple. Currently, about half of Instinct’s transaction volume comes from travel, with some boutique hotels willing to pay commissions exceeding 30% for the orders it brings in. However, Instinct may not necessarily charge such high rates. Coincidentally, Zuckerberg previously envisioned a similar model for Muse: most users use the service for free, and the Agent charges merchants who gain business from completed transactions. [Original Article Link]