Three months ago, an AI assistant told you what to do next. Now, four of them do it for you. Instinct raised $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation this week, one year after its founding. Meta launched Muse on September 8, and it climbed to the top of the US App Store's free chart. Wajo released its agent, Fo, about a month ago. And yesterday at DevDay, OpenAI launched Dots. I have used Muse, Instinct, and Wajo. Dots launched 24 hours ago, so my read on it comes from OpenAI's launch materials and press coverage, not hands-on time.

What changed

The earlier generation of assistants gave you a plan and left the execution to you. These four take the next step themselves. They read email, fill out forms, book, buy, and negotiate, then report back, and they ask for approval on the decisions that matter.

Muse (Meta)

Muse runs on Meta's Muse Spark model and is available in the US on iOS, Android, the web, and WhatsApp. It keeps working after you close the app and comes back when it needs your approval to send an email or make a purchase. Its security design stands out. Each user gets an isolated virtual machine, and a separate system called Sentinel checks what Muse sends to the internet. Checkout runs through Stripe's Link with a one-time-use card, and Muse is the first agent covered by Stripe's warranties and return policy. Pricing is a free tier with usage limits, plus plans at $20 and $100 a month.

Instinct

Instinct is the most hands-off of the group. You text it on iMessage or WhatsApp, or you call it, and it works from its own persistent cloud computer, so multi-day jobs continue between your messages. It comes from Spear Street Technology, founded by 23-year-old Noah Shinn, a former Sierra research scientist.

Reporting this week says it raised a $1 billion Series C at a $10 billion valuation, days after a $250 million Series B at $2.5 billion. Early users report a wide range of finished work. One investor logged 15 completed jobs in five days, from lowering a Comcast bill to coordinating vendors over WhatsApp. Access is invite-only and free during the private beta.

Wajo

Wajo calls Fo an action agent. Founder Shivani Poddar built it because AI could answer any question, yet the calling, comparing, and coordinating still landed on the user. Fo books appointments, coordinates vendors, handles travel changes, places orders, and can hire agent-human teams for tasks it cannot do itself.

Connect Google Workspace, and it builds context about you over time. It asks for your approval on important decisions, and it is free today. Early users on Product Hunt report Fo catching a forgotten free trial, which saved one of them $80, and finding a 25% food-order voucher.

Dots (OpenAI)

Dots are always-on agents powered by GPT-6 Astra. Each dot gets its own cloud computer and browser, connects to more than 4,000 apps through plugins, and works on several projects at once. You reach a dot through ChatGPT on desktop, web, and mobile, or through Slack and Teams, and texting is coming soon. You can also call your dot from the ChatGPT app.

Three design choices stand out:

• Proactive research: when you are away, a dot looks for ways to help using connected apps in read-only mode, so it cannot send messages or change content.
• Approval controls: built-in rules decide when a dot acts alone and when it asks. Custom Rules let you allow, block, or require approval for specific actions, and an auto-review step checks anything that could affect your accounts.
• Credential handling: dots sign in to supported sites with saved passwords without exposing them to the model.

One early tester described his dot spotting an invoice he forgot to send, drafting it from an email thread, and sending it after his approval. The first dot is included with ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium at no extra cost. OpenAI also previews "specialist dots" for companies, with their own identity and credentials, and expects teams of dots to work together over time.

What all four do well

• Dispute and negotiate bills, including medical bills
• Negotiate contract terms
• Share recommendations on activities, travel ...
• Identify and apply for jobs
• Book restaurants and appointments
• Handle email, scheduling, and travel

Muse, Instinct, and Wajo all delivered on these in my testing. Dots targets the same territory, and its launch materials show the same emphasis on completed work.

Where Wajo pulls ahead: It makes the call.

In my use, Wajo can call for you. Muse and Instinct cannot. You can phone Instinct and your dot, but neither places calls to businesses for you, and OpenAI's launch materials describe no outbound business calls for Dots. That gap matters because a large share of real-world tasks still end on a phone line.

A billing department that resolves disputes by voice, a restaurant with no online booking, a contractor who wants to talk before quoting. With Wajo, the call gets made, and the task closes. With the others, I finished those steps myself. Meta has tested outbound calling for Muse in beta, and OpenAI shipped Dots one day ago, so this gap will narrow. Today, Wajo's calling is the feature I rely on.

How I would choose

• Wajo: the pick when the task ends in a phone call, or when you want an agent that asks before big decisions.
• Muse: the pick for a polished, widely available app with strong payment protections and the reach of WhatsApp.
• Instinct: the pick if you have an invite and want the most hands-off experience, texting a request and getting the result.
• Dots: the pick if you already live in ChatGPT, Slack, or Teams and want granular approval rules. Availability starts with Pro and Business Premium users, and Pro users in the EU, Switzerland, and the UK do not have access yet.

A practical note on access.

These assistants work best with deep access to your email, calendar, and accounts. Instinct drew a TechCrunch report on privacy and data retention shortly after launch, and the company added a deletion tool in response. OpenAI itself advises reviewing consequential work from a dot. My habit with all four: start with low-risk tasks, review permissions, and widen access as trust builds.

The Bigger Picture

Four well-funded products from Meta, OpenAI, and fast-growing startups now compete on completed tasks: bills lowered, contracts negotiated, tables booked. That competition benefits anyone who wants their time back. Which assistant are you using, and what did you hand off first? I would like to hear it in the comments.