The honest answer

Instinct asks for a lot of access because it does real work: it can read your email, spend your money and act in your name. Its terms literally appoint it as your agent, authorized to enter binding agreements for you. Whether that is "safe" depends on the protections around it and the rules you set. Here is both sides, then sensible rules.

The protections that are actually built in

• Approval cards. Consequential actions come to you first: approve, deny or dismiss. The approval binds to the exact text shown - if the plan changes, it has to ask again.
• A vault that fills but never reveals. Your passwords and card numbers live in a credential vault built to type into forms without ever being readable back - not to you, not to anyone. Passwords never travel through the chat.
• Group chats are siloed. A group's shared Instinct cannot access your personal account, and your personal Instinct asks permission before sharing anything with it.
• Training opt-out. Its privacy policy says Google Workspace API data is never used to train models, and there is an "Improve Instinct for everyone" toggle in settings to opt out of training on your interactions in general.

The concerns, on the record

• TechCrunch (24 Aug 2026) flagged the terms: a broad "perpetual and irrevocable" license over user materials, and data intake that includes screen captures, cursor movements and keyboard inputs.
• Reported mishaps collected by The Atlantic (13 Sep 2026): a flight cancelled before the cost was confirmed (over $200 lost), a restaurant booked with a $200 cancellation fee without approval, a Resy account temporarily locked after the bot hit it with too many requests.
• The privacy policy itself says "no security measures are impenetrable."
• One early user reported Instinct would not delete his Gmail records when asked; TechCrunch reports the team later fixed the problem.

Rules worth setting on day one

• Start with low-stakes accounts and errands; connect your main email and card later.
• Set money limits in plain words: "ask me before anything over $50."
• Consider a virtual or low-limit card for its spending - several reviewers did exactly that.
• Read approval cards before tapping. Tell it clearly when something is off-limits.

Read next: How Instinct works, in plain English