A Woman Who Struggled With ChatGPT Asked AI to Find Her Late Dog's Lookalike
She sent a photo and asked it to find a breeder and negotiate, raising the question of how everyday people will use AI agents.
The a16z Show · The New AI Agents That Shop, Plan, and GossipThe photo showed the family dog that died last year. David Pawlan, her son and the creator of an assistant benchmark that compares AI assistants, said his mother sent the picture to an AI assistant named Instinct, with instructions attached.
She asked it to find a breeder with the same kind of dog and to negotiate for her.
Pawlan, who has tested more than 140 AI assistants, describes his mother as a technophobe who hates technology. She had struggled with the concept of ChatGPT and how it works.
With Instinct, she is having so much fun, Pawlan said. She is having a blast, "like a kid in a candy shop," and is "having such an easy time texting an AI assistant."
Pawlan says he is watching her closely because she may show what comes next. People who love technology already use assistants, and the open question is how everyday people will adopt them.
One open question is what those users will want first. Pawlan wonders whether they will focus on fun and creative tasks, or prefer a different kind of help or behavior.
That question matters because trust remains the biggest worry among the experienced users Pawlan surveys. In group chats with about 3,600 messages, 22 percent named trust as the main fear.
In Pawlan's comparison tests, Instinct stood out for handling competing demands. When asked to order same-day flowers as cheaply as possible, Instinct, Kickr and Season kept equal weight on delivery time and price, while the other assistants tested struggled on price.
Instinct also stayed in the middle when asked to plan a luxurious but cost-efficient weekend in Los Angeles. Other assistants leaned harder toward saving time or saving money.
For Pawlan's mother, the request was personal. She wants a dog that looks just like the old family dog.
The account does not say what Instinct found or whether any negotiation happened. Pawlan says only that he gave his mother Instinct and is watching her play around with it.
Her story is one early example, not a prediction. It shows a woman who struggled with a chatbot now handing a photo and a negotiation to an agent.
Questions people ask
What is Instinct?
Instinct is an AI assistant that works by text message. In Pawlan's tests, it handled tasks that balanced two goals, such as delivery speed and price for flowers. The source does not describe its full features or how it was set up for his mother.
Did she get the puppy?
The source does not say. It says only that she sent a picture and asked the assistant to find a breeder with the same type of dog and negotiate for her. Pawlan says he is watching her use it, but gives no outcome.
Why was texting easier for her than ChatGPT?
The source gives only her experience, not a general rule. Pawlan says she struggled with the concept of ChatGPT and how it works, and is having an easy time texting an AI assistant. He does not explain why texting feels easier for her.