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What you can do with Open Instinct

Open Instinct is an open-source personal agent you text on iMessage, with its own Linux desktop in a microVM and a permission system for agents of trusted people.

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mariagorskikh/open-instinct on GitHub

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What do you want to do?

5 use cases

  • Text a personal agent on iMessage

    Give yourself an agent with its own number that you reach by text message.

    View prompt
    In the open-instinct repo at <repo path>, run the init, dev --tunnel and connect commands from the README using phone number <phone number> and handle <handle>. Expected output: the number and the connect text printed by `pnpm instinct connect`. Verify that the printed number matches the Inkbox number assigned to the agent before sending any text.

  • Test the agent in a laptop chat first

    Run the agent on your laptop and chat with it before you buy any phone line.

    View prompt
    In the open-instinct repo at <repo path>, follow the laptop quick start from the README with a test name <name>. Expected output: a reply from `pnpm instinct chat` after `pnpm instinct dev` is running. Verify that a follow-up chat asking what you like gets an answer that mentions the saved preference.

  • Have the agent call and book a table

    Approve a request by text and let the agent phone a business for you.

    View prompt
    In the open-instinct repo at <repo path>, with the iMessage line already connected, ask the agent to call <business> to book <time>. Expected output: one text back with the call outcome and any follow-ups. Verify that you approved the call before it was placed.

  • Let trusted contacts' agents ask for access

    Set tiers and plain-English grants so a partner's agent can read your calendar.

    View prompt
    In the open-instinct repo at <repo path>, read docs/PERMISSIONS.md and docs/PROTOCOL.md, then list the seven tiers and how a grant is written. Expected output: a short list of the tiers and one example grant. Verify that a stranger's request is answered with a no in the summary you produce.

  • Let the agent pay with a one-time card

    Approve each purchase with a single-use card from your Stripe Link wallet.

    View prompt
    In the open-instinct repo at <repo path>, read docs/PAYMENTS.md and the spend policy file, then summarize the limits. Expected output: the ask-above amount, the daily cap and the always-ask items. Verify that the summary says the agent never holds the card number.

How to use Open Instinct

  1. Check you have what it needs: Node 22.19+ and pnpm 10; An Anthropic API key (or another Pi provider key); An Inkbox admin API key from inkbox.ai for phone, email and agent-to-agent endpoints.
  2. Open mariagorskikh/open-instinct on GitHub and read the README and license.
  3. Install dependencies: pnpm install && pnpm build
  4. Set your model key: export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
  5. Set your Inkbox key: export INKBOX_ADMIN_API_KEY=...
  6. Create your agent: pnpm instinct init --name "Maria" --phone +14155550100 --email [email protected] --handle maria-instinct

These steps come from our top use case, Text a personal agent on iMessage, which also has a copy-paste agent prompt.

Open Instinct alternatives · Best AI repos for Personal productivity

About this repo

Requirements

  • Node 22.19+ and pnpm 10
  • An Anthropic API key (or another Pi provider key)
  • An Inkbox admin API key from inkbox.ai for phone, email and agent-to-agent endpoints
  • A Maritime API key from maritime.sh if you deploy to a VM
  • A Stripe Link OAuth client if you want the agent to pay (review takes about 3 to 5 days)
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Questions about Open Instinct

What is Open Instinct?

Open Instinct is an open-source personal agent you text on iMessage, with its own Linux desktop in a microVM and a permission system for agents of trusted people. It is an open-source project on GitHub: https://github.com/mariagorskikh/open-instinct.

Who is Open Instinct for?

Developers and technical power users who want a self-hosted personal assistant reachable by text, with their own keys and a documented permission model.

What can I do with Open Instinct?

5 use cases so far, for example: Text a personal agent on iMessage; Test the agent in a laptop chat first; Have the agent call and book a table. Each has steps and a copy-paste agent prompt.

What do I need to run Open Instinct?

Node 22.19+ and pnpm 10; An Anthropic API key (or another Pi provider key); An Inkbox admin API key from inkbox.ai for phone, email and agent-to-agent endpoints; A Maritime API key from maritime.sh if you deploy to a VM.

What are alternatives to Open Instinct?

Other hot AI repos in Personal productivity: Abacusai Bot, Unigit Ecosystem, Comma, Agent Peer Chat, Compass.

Is Open Instinct safe to run?

Deduped does not own, audit or vouch for it. Read the README and license, run it on your own systems first and review every command before you run it.