For two years, “AI assistant” meant a chat box. You asked, it answered, and the work was still yours. This summer that changed. Meta, xAI, the startup Instinct and, on September 29, OpenAI each launched an agent that signs into your apps, clicks through websites and keeps going after you close the tab.
Publisher disclosure: Sharick is one of the products below, and we build it. This guide compares official product information; it is not a hands-on benchmark. Dots, Muse, Grok Bot and Instinct are new, and their details may change quickly.
The five at a glance
An always-on agent inside ChatGPT with its own cloud computer, reachable in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, and by voice call.
Works on it in the background
A free, consumer agent for errands, bookings and long-term goals, reachable from its app and WhatsApp.
Does it for you
A team of always-on bots, each with its own cloud computer, that learn a workflow once and repeat it.
Runs it for you
An assistant you text or call, which picks up dropped threads and reaches out to you first.
Chases it for you
Keeps your commitments and context in view, so you can see which move matters before anything gets done.
Helps you see itWhat changed this summer: the agent got a computer
The common thread is a new piece of infrastructure. OpenAI gives each dot its own cloud computer and browser. Grok Bot gives each bot a cloud machine with a desktop, file system and terminal. Muse runs tasks in a secure virtual machine with its own browser. Reporting on Instinct describes a persistent cloud desktop. None of them needs an official integration to use an app; they operate it the way a person would.
That unlocks real chores: forms, reservations, CRMs without an API. It also raises the stakes of one question every buyer should ask first: what can it do without asking me? All four vendors say sensitive actions come back to you for approval. How each one draws that line is worth testing with low-risk tasks before you connect anything important.
An agent that can do anything still has to know what is worth doing. That is the part you cannot delegate by accident.
Where each one starts
Useful help moves through three steps: notice something that needs you, understand why it matters and what changed, then act. Each product puts its weight on a different step. The map below reflects each vendor's own emphasis, not a measured score.
OpenAI dots: an always-on agent inside ChatGPT
- LaunchedSept 29, 2026
- Lives inChatGPT, Slack, Teams
- Approvalconsent for sensitive actions
- Priceincluded with ChatGPT Pro, Business Premium
The newest arrival. OpenAI’s dots run on GPT-6 Astra, each with its own cloud computer, and keep working toward your goals between conversations. A dot learns from your feedback and can connect to more than 4,000 apps. You can message or call it in ChatGPT, or message it in Slack and Teams. When it works in the background on its own initiative, it has read-only access to your connected apps, and sensitive actions need your explicit consent.
Try it for: an ongoing work task, such as monitoring feedback or refreshing a recurring analysis, if you already pay for ChatGPT Pro. Pro access excludes the EEA, UK and Switzerland at launch. See OpenAI’s announcement and our dots vs OpenClaw comparison.
Muse: Meta's agent for everyday life
- LaunchedSept 2026, US
- Lives iniOS, Android, web, WhatsApp
- Approvalbefore emails and purchases
- Pricefree, with paid plans
Muse is the broadest consumer bet. Meta pitches it for everyone: sending an email, booking travel, turning saved recipes into a grocery list, or building a plan toward a bigger goal. It remembers what matters to you and makes suggestions unprompted. A separate “Sentinel” agent reviews actions that touch the internet, Muse checks with you before sensitive steps, and you get an audit trail of everything it did.
Try it for: personal errands where a mistake is cheap and the time saved is obvious. Read the audit trail after the first few tasks. See Meta's announcement.
Grok Bot: a team that never logs off
- LaunchedAug 11, 2026, beta
- Lives indesktop, iOS
- Approvalreturns when needed
- Pricewith SuperGrok or Cursor plans
Grok Bot treats agents like colleagues in a group chat. You can run several at once, have them coordinate, and show one a workflow so it can repeat it. xAI's pitch is end-to-end work: bots handle a job and “only come back when something needs your approval.” Access currently comes with SuperGrok and eligible Cursor subscriptions, on a separate usage allocation.
Try it for: a repetitive, well-defined workflow you can describe in one sentence, such as a weekly report pulled from three tools. See xAI's announcement.
Instinct: the assistant that texts you first
- Statusinvite access
- Lives intext messages and calls
- Readsemail, messages, screen, audio, location
- Pricenot published
Instinct has no new app to learn. You text it or call it. Its site describes following up on threads you have dropped, calling or texting you proactively, arranging a ride to the airport, or booking a handyman. The trade is breadth of access: to be that proactive, it asks for email, messaging, screen, audio and location.
Try it for: life logistics that fall through the cracks. Decide in advance which of those data sources you are comfortable sharing. See Instinct's site.
Sharick: see what matters, then move
- Availablenow
- Lives inweb, desktop, mobile
- ApprovalAI proposes, you commit
- Pricesee pricing
We built Sharick around a different bottleneck. For many founders the problem is not clicking through a booking form. It is losing sight of the promise made in Tuesday's meeting, or spending a week on busy work while the one hard question waits. Sharick gathers meeting notes, messages and tasks into daily briefings and follow-up tracking, shows the source behind each suggestion, and lets you correct it. It proposes; you decide what becomes a commitment.
That makes it a complement to an action agent more than a replacement. An agent that can do anything works best when it is pointed at the right thing. See the proactive assistant overview.
Side by side
| Product | Main strength | How it is proactive | Where you step in |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI dots | Ongoing work in ChatGPT, Slack, Teams | Keeps working between conversations; read-only research when idle | Consent for sensitive actions |
| Muse | Errands, bookings, goal plans | Unprompted suggestions from memory | Sensitive actions; audit trail |
| Grok Bot | Repeatable work across any app | Routines that run around the clock | When a bot asks for approval |
| Instinct | Life logistics by text and phone | Follows up and contacts you first | Over text, as it reaches out |
| Sharick | Commitments, context, priorities | Briefings and open follow-ups | Every commitment is yours |
Which to try first
Start from the job, not the demo.
Choose dots if
you already pay for ChatGPT Pro and want an agent that works inside ChatGPT, Slack and Teams.
Choose Muse if
you want help with personal life admin and already live in Meta's apps.
Choose Grok Bot if
you can name a repeatable workflow and already pay for SuperGrok or Cursor.
Choose Instinct if
you would rather text than open an app, and accept broad access in exchange.
Choose Sharick if
your problem is keeping promises and priorities straight, not the clicking.
Sources and limitations
We reviewed official announcements and product pages on September 28, 2026, and OpenAI’s dots pages on September 30, 2026. These describe what vendors advertise, not measured performance. Dots via ChatGPT Pro exclude the EEA, UK and Switzerland at launch; Muse is US-only; Grok Bot is in beta; Instinct is invite-only and does not publish pricing.