Instinct Concierge and Meta's Muse AI Agents Now Offer Phone Call Capabilities

On September 16, 2026, Instinct and Meta's Muse, both text-based AI assistants, launched new features enabling their AI agents to place phone calls for users, expanding their capabilities beyond text-based interactions.

Instinct Concierge: A New Service for High-Touch Tasks

Instinct, an AI agent that recently secured substantial funding, introduced "Instinct Concierge" on September 16, 2026. Announced by founder Noah Shinn, this new service enables the Instinct agent to place phone calls on behalf of users. The stated purpose of Instinct Concierge is to handle high-touch cases, such as booking restaurants that do not offer online reservations, securing spots on cancellation lists, or resolving complex billing issues.

The Instinct Concierge feature is currently in an early access phase, with a broader rollout anticipated. This move follows other recent enhancements to the Instinct platform, including providing agents with their own email addresses for account sign-ups and establishing an agent-to-agent contact network for trusted interactions.

Meta's Muse Expands to Outbound Business Calls

Concurrently, Meta's Muse, which launched on September 8, also added the ability to place outbound calls to U.S. businesses on September 16, 2026. This feature was initially made available to users who had previously requested it, indicating a user-driven development approach.

Muse quickly gained traction after its debut, achieving over 730,000 U.S. downloads within its first five days. During this period, it briefly reached the #2 position on the U.S. top charts, surpassing the Meta AI app's 707,000 downloads post-launch, according to Sensor Tower data. This rapid adoption highlights the market's interest in advanced conversational AI agents.

Strategic Developments and Market Valuation

The introduction of calling features by both Instinct and Meta's Muse comes amidst significant strategic activity for Instinct. In August 2026, Instinct successfully raised $350 million, valuing the company at $2.5 billion. Reports from The Information suggest that Instinct is now in discussions to secure an additional $1 billion in funding, which could potentially increase its valuation to $10 billion.

These financial developments underscore the competitive landscape and the perceived value of advanced AI agent technologies. The expansion into voice capabilities for both platforms suggests a broader industry trend towards more integrated and autonomous AI assistants.

Implications for AI Agent Functionality

The ability for AI agents to initiate and manage phone calls represents a notable advancement in their practical utility. Previously, interactions were largely confined to text-based interfaces. With this new functionality, users can delegate tasks that traditionally required direct human intervention, such as making reservations or addressing customer service issues, to their AI assistants.

This development could streamline various personal and professional tasks, offering a new level of convenience and efficiency. As these features roll out more broadly, they may redefine user expectations for what AI tools can accomplish.

Conclusion

The simultaneous introduction of phone call capabilities by Instinct and Meta's Muse on September 16, 2026, marks a significant milestone for AI agents. Instinct's Concierge service aims to handle complex, high-touch tasks through direct phone calls, while Meta's Muse enables outbound calls to U.S. businesses. These advancements, coupled with Instinct's substantial financial backing and rapid feature development, indicate a growing trend towards more autonomous and versatile AI assistants in the market.

Sources

• Rival AI agents, Instinct and Meta's Muse, both add the ability to make calls | TechCrunch
• Meta's AI agent Muse is now the No. 2 app in the US | TechCrunch
• Meta Releases Muse, a Personal AI Agent With Privacy ‘Built Into It’ | WIRED
• Meta debuts its Muse AI agent. Will consumers trust it? - TechCrunch
• Noah Shinn on X: "Your Instinct can now handle phone calls. Introducing Instinct Concierge – a white glove service meant to handle high-touch cases, such as making phone calls, high-end service booking, and more. You’ll be able to book the restaurant that doesn’t take online reservations, get on y… / X