去年我记得坐在WIRED的办公室里，他们只是每件事都不好。
作为一名软件记者，我坐在会后开会，在那里，技术兄弟，主要是男人，展示了他们的新agent将如何使我的日常生活发生革命，并将ted自动化。 渔获量是，这些所谓的“agents”实际上没有发挥作用。
Fast-forward to Today，而且总是在AI agents上蓬勃发展，主要玩家竞速发布自己的版本，以吸引早期的领养者。 这些个人agents 打击更大的Zeitgeist，超越硅谷书呆子，关键是他们的工作。 至少比去年更可靠一点 AI agents仍然犯错误，但我也看到在跟踪任务和控制浏览器方面有重大改进。 这些小家伙发光了
很难知道AI agents从哪里开始，哪一个最适合你的自动化需求。 所以我花了一天时间去试验每一个主要的AI agent来了解它们的长处和弱点。 在上周三睡觉前，我在我的iPhone上设置了6个总在agents:Meta的Muse,OpenAI的Dots,Instinct,Anthropic的Claude Dut,Google的Gemini Spark，以及xAI的Grok Bot.
每个agent在价格和功能上略有不同。 Muse可以自由使用，自9月发布以来，它一直主导智能手机应用下载图表。 Instinct也是免费的，但您需要用户的邀请码；它通过您的文本而不是一个应用操作。 OpenAI的点数在每月100美元的付费墙后面，是我测试的最昂贵的，并且是在ChatGPT内部建造的。 Google的Gemini Spark是Gemini应用内部的β，每月花费20美元。 xAI 的 Grok 单曲瓶子每月花费30美元，在自己的应用中。 Anthropic的Claude Dut每月花费20美元
OpenClaw不在名单上尽管今年早些时候AI agent引发了大部分创新，可能在未来的排名中，我也可以包括小角色，如诺斯·Research和Poke的Hermes.
什么是AI Agent吗？
若你从未使用过AI agent，我对拒服兵役者没有判断力，就像发短信给一位数字助理来完成任务
与聊天员的回合经验相比，这些工具更加主动，在发现有帮助的机会时会首先影响你。 您所有带这些 agents 的信息经常被存储在一个单一的线程中，感觉像一个分组文本。 AI agents通过控制虚拟浏览器来完成其中许多任务，而虚拟浏览器基本上是他们自己的互联网访问计算机。
鲁布里克
我从非技术角度测试了AI软件，我设计了五个基本测试每一次agent通过，发布这一切混乱在24小时内测量他们的主动性，方向跟随，和浏览能力。 我的iPhone没有融为水潭。 我以1比5的比分打分
这不是对AI agents的任何认可。 该软件仍然是新生的，经常充满隐私和安全问题。 这些 agents 在连接到您的个人数据时效果最好，如电子邮件和日历，但需要一定的信任水平，可以防止一些用户使用。 例如，一个X用户声称他最近将AI agents连接到他的银行账户和工作Slack，然后当agent贴出他有多少钱给同事看时，他被羞辱了。
此外，这些测试是工具所能做的有限测试。 所有agents都会随着时间推移而改善，因为您分享了更多关于自己以及您喜欢如何完成任务的数据。 所以我并没有完全暴露出AI agents
上午简报
WIRED的Gear台在星期四早上开会，因此，我想看看AI agent把最好的技术新闻简报集中起来，并且可以利用这些信息产生一个令人信服的头条。 公司经常把这些工具说成是很好的用来整理晨间档案让你了解重要事件和突发新闻
我向每个AI agent发送了广泛的即时信息，详细介绍了我在WIRED的覆盖范围，以及关于如何使用这一投球的背景。 虽然我要求AI agents用30分钟时间，另一个AI agents要么瞬间吐出一个投球，要么在搜索了几分钟后给我发了头条。 虽然这不是一个重大错误，但它表明，在此情况下，Muse和Dots更能遵守我的指示——一个AI agent的关键功能。
这六个AI生成的投球游戏的内容是不同的兽。 你可能已经猜到了，在编辑会议上，我读到每一条标题和描述时，Gemini Spark生成了最佳角度，对比了沃尔玛如何为第三方agents创建了使用其购物平台的方法，而Amazon最近给了Muse的靴子。 我的同事停止打哈欠时
沃尔玛想要你的AI Agent 买你的食品。 Amazon正在报警 Meta's Muse 的AI同伴每周开支津贴揭示
ChatGPT的锁定聊天隐藏除OpenAI之外所有人的秘密 ZQ 1Z的新PIN保护聊天将ChatGPT像日记一样对待，很多人已经用过，但是他们从室友和同事那里，而不是从公司本身那里保护你说的话。
我让Claude Duit Text Me First ——它花了我的Claude计划，兹Q 1Z新推出的agent承诺注意你的收件箱、日历和发票，这样你就不必，但每次检查时
这个反灾难的应用想要成为你的手机老板。 我将测试SHIFT，该软件的开发者决定哪些应用在焦点会议期间仍然可用
Meta的Muse有基本味道——按设计。 一套被泄露的指令告诉Meta的AI agent用知名的商店来填充其顶级的选手，并且每个请求只检查三个网站，就像数百万人开始将假日购物单交给它一样。
我花了一周指导我的饲料。 算术几乎没注意到 Instagram,Facebook,TikTok，和YouTube 都在推出“说出你想要的算法”控制器——我会测试它们是否真的改变了你所看到的，或者只是让你觉得自己当家作主。
午餐时间
其次，我想测试这些工具如何帮助日常小额采购。 所以我把午餐决定外包给我的AI agents团队，承诺从哪个机器人做得最好就订购。
我在外卖订单上增加了另一个人，我的好老板，使任务更加复杂一点。 他吃素，我想吃点肉和咖啡因我需要从WIRED办公室附近的地方订货这样我就可以伸腿捡起来然后继续写这篇文章
他们都选了类似的地方：龙食或Freshroll. 那些越南餐馆很合理，附近的午餐点。 龙食比较美味便宜，所以我们用那个 Instinct和Claude Dut建造的推车与其他选项相比价格有点过高。 唯一真正未能完成这一任务的AI agent是Gemini Spark. agent刚给我老板加了5美元我想说
你们：烤猪肉bánh mì + 越南冰咖啡。 你老板：大谷豆腐新鲜卷酱油而不是鱼酱。 小计：30.57美元在税/费前。
给您：烤猪BM - 13.19美元，越南冰咖啡 - 5.29美元。 为了你的老板(全部是素食者)：特里亚基豆腐卷 - 12.09美元 - 新鲜的春季卷，保留着默认的花生酱，而不是鱼酱；特里亚基豆腐 BM 12.09. 项目共计42.66美元。 DoorDash在退出显示屏之前不会显示税费或任何费用，这样最终的总数会更高一些。
给您：Power Hour vermicelli 碗配大蒜-inger-honey 猪肉和南南酱，15.85美元。 越南冷酿冰咖啡5.85元。 为了你的老板(Vegan)：彩虹碗(Rainbow Bowl)，用芝麻酱豆腐和柑橘姜酱的白兰地(vermicelli),15.85美元。 新鲜豆腐春卷配花生酱，无炸片，5.85元。 这是43.40 税前和收费。
配有猪肉的Power Hour碗 Nam Nam酱和 vermicelli (15.85美元) 加上越南冷酿冰咖啡 (5.85美元) 你的老板：2份新鲜卷与豆腐(芝麻，莱姆)和Citrus Ginger酱(11.70美元)，外加彩虹碗与豆腐和Citrus Ginger(15.85美元). 这是在收费和税前49.25美元。
老板：2×豆腐新鲜春卷+豆腐彩虹碗。 你：猪肉力量小时碗加猪肉+越南冷酿。 税/费前小计53.73。
对于你的老板来说，这辆车包括一个素食新鲜的春卷，里面装满了芝麻糖味的豆腐，并配上了奶奶的花生酱(5.85美元). 为你，有一个普通的bánh mì三明治装满了蒜，姜，和蜂蜜烤猪肉(10.85美元)，配以越南冷酿的冰咖啡(5.85美元)，用于下午咖啡因的提速——把皮卡子加到22.55美元。
冲突
这些工具的另一个主要销售点是它们具有主动性的能力，与基本上只有react到您的提示的聊天机器人相比。 在开始测试前，我为下午2点创建了Google日历活动，我还从我的工作账户发了一封电子邮件到我的个人账户，其中的化妆情景是我妈妈今天要出院，我需要在下午2点给她打电话，从远处寄出爱和支持。
哪些AI agents会阅读电子邮件和日历事件，识别冲突，并在重叠之前给我留言，提出替代方案？这里只有两个男孩成功，比我预期的要少。
今天下午可能发生的冲突：你给妈妈打个电话，是下午2点到3点会在开会前打电话给她还是在3次工作后按她出院的时间安排给她打电话？
瑞斯，早安，你好吗？你下午2点的线人会议一直持续到3点也就是你自己提醒你给你妈打电话的时候
我应该抓住它，从现在开始，我会检查你的自发邮件和你的日历。
我没有检查过你的收件箱和日历要不要我每天早上检查一下并在他们撞到前撞上旗子？
我的错误是把你的日历当作唯一的来源——我从来没有交叉检查过电子邮件提醒它，尽管Gmail就在那里。
因为提醒是作为电子邮件而不是日历条目或计划任务而来的，所以在下午2点之前交叉应用重叠并没有浮出水面。
休假时间
我很少去度假，所以当我去的时候，我花一个淫秽的小时研究，我喜欢它。 我喜欢观看YouTube街头美食旅行，所以我不想把任务完全自动化即使如此，我还是对这个想法持开放态度。
本文由 AI图鉴自动抓取并翻译，版权归原作者所有；如需查看原文请点下方链接。
Last year, I remember sitting in WIRED’s office, complaining to my colleagues nonstop about how much AI agents suck. They were just bad at everything.
As a software reporter, I sat through meeting after meeting where tech bros—mostly men—demonstrated how their new agent would revolutionize my everyday life and automate away the tedium. The catch was that none of these so-called “agents” actually worked.
Fast-forward to today, and always-on AI agents are booming, with major players racing to release their own versions to attract early adopters. The key reason these personal agents are hitting the larger zeitgeist, beyond Silicon Valley nerds, is that they work. Well, at least more reliably than last year. AI agents still make mistakes, but I also see significant improvements in following through on tasks and controlling a browser. These little guys got their glow-up.
It can be hard to know where to start with AI agents and which one best fits your automation needs. So I spent a day experimenting with every major AI agent to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Before going to bed on Wednesday last week, I set up six always-on agents on my iPhone: Meta’s Muse, OpenAI’s Dots, Instinct, Anthropic’s Claude Duet, Google’s Gemini Spark, and xAI’s Grok Bot.
Each agent differs slightly in price and function. Muse is free to use and has dominated the smartphone app download charts since its September release. Instinct is also free, but you need an invite code from a user; it’s operated through your texts rather than an app. OpenAI’s Dots are behind a $100-a-month paywall, the most expensive I tested, and built inside of ChatGPT. Google’s Gemini Spark is a beta inside the Gemini app and costs $20 a month. xAI’s Grok Bot costs $30 a month and is in its own app. Lastly, Anthropic’s Claude Duet costs $20 a month and is the newest of the bunch—released as a wait-listed research preview the night before my tests.
OpenClaw isn't on my list. Despite the AI agent sparking much of this innovation earlier this year, it’s too clunky for the average person to set up. Maybe it will be in a future ranking, where I could also include smaller players like Hermes by Nous Research and Poke.
What Exactly Is an AI Agent?
If you’ve never used an AI agent—I have zero judgment for the holdouts—it's like texting a digital assistant to complete tasks: scan your email for important missed messages, track vacation flight deals, and help with daily shopping decisions.
Compared to a chatbot’s turn-based experience, these tools are more proactive and will nudge you first when they detect an opportunity to be helpful. All of your messages with these agents are often stored in a single thread that feels like a group text. The AI agents complete many of these tasks by controlling a virtual browser, essentially their own computer for internet access.
The Rubric
I’ve tested AI software from a nontechnical perspective for the last few years, so I feel especially qualified to help guide you through this moment. I designed five basic tests to run each agent through, enacting all this chaos over 24 hours to gauge their proactivity, direction following, and browsing abilities. (Somehow, my iPhone didn’t melt into a puddle.) I scored each attempt on a scale of 1 to 5, and tallied the results at the end to crown a winner—and hand out an award for most annoying.
This is not an endorsement of any of these AI agents. The software remains nascent and often fraught with privacy and security concerns. These agents work best when connected to your personal data, like email and calendars, but require a level of trust that could ward off some users. For example, an X user claimed he recently connected AI agents to his bank account and work Slack, and then was mortified when an agent posted how much money he had for his colleagues to see.
Additionally, these tests are a limited sliver of what the tools can do. All of the agents will improve over time, as you share more data about yourself and how you like to complete tasks. I only shared my personal Google Calendar and Gmail with the tools, so I didn’t fully expose the AI agents, Billy Evans–style, to everything.
Morning Briefing
On Thursday mornings, WIRED’s Gear desk meets to chat about current coverage plans and sometimes pitch ideas for the next week. So, I wanted to see which AI agent put together the best tech news briefing and could use that information to generate a compelling headline. Companies often tout these tools as being great for compiling morning dossiers that keep you up-to-date on important events and breaking news.
I sent each AI agent an extensive prompt detailing my areas of coverage at WIRED, along with context about how this pitch would be used. Even though I asked the AI agents to take 30 minutes and really do deep research before answering, only Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots actually kept researching for most of the allotted time. The other AI agents either instantaneously spit out a pitch or sent me the headline after a couple of minutes of searching. While not a major mistake, it suggests that in this instance Muse and Dots were a bit better at following my instructions—a critical function of an AI agent.
The content of these six AI-generated pitches was a different beast. As you might have already guessed, the pitches didn’t exactly go over well in the editorial meeting. I could see my colleague’s eyes starting to glaze over as I read each headline and description. Gemini Spark generated the best angle, contrasting how Walmart created ways for third-party agents to use its shopping platform while Amazon recently gave Muse the boot. My colleagues, when they stopped yawning, didn’t seem too concerned about getting scooped by an agent.
Walmart Wants Your AI Agent to Buy Your Groceries. Amazon Is Calling the Cops. As retail giants clash over autonomous checkout, giving an AI companion like Meta’s Muse a weekly spending allowance reveals what happens when we stop clicking “Add to Cart” and outsource our domestic appetites to software.
ChatGPT's Locked Chats Hide Your Secrets From Everyone but OpenAI. OpenAI's new PIN-protected chats treat ChatGPT like the diary a lot of people already use it as, but they guard what you say from roommates and coworkers, not from the company itself.
I Let Claude Duet Text Me First—and It Spent My Claude Plan While I Wasn’t Looking. Anthropic’s new proactive agent promises to watch your inbox, calendar, and invoices so you don’t have to, but every time it checks in on you, drafts a reply you never asked for, or builds a dashboard overnight, it quietly bills that work to the same usage limit you pay for to chat.
This Anti-Doomscrolling App Wants to Be Your Phone’s Boss. I’d test SHIFT, whose developers decide which apps stay available during focus sessions, to explore whether escaping doomscrolling is worth outsourcing control of your phone.
Meta's Muse Has Basic Taste—by Design. A leaked set of instructions tells Meta's AI agent to fill its top picks with well-known stores and to check only three websites per request, just as millions of people start handing it their holiday shopping lists.
I Spent a Week Steering My Feeds. The Algorithm Barely Noticed. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube are all rolling out "tell the algorithm what you want" controls—I'd test whether they actually change what you see, or just make you feel in charge.
Lunch Time
Next, I wanted to test how these tools help for small, daily purchases. So I outsourced my lunch decisions to my team of AI agents, committing to order from whichever bot did the best.
I added another person, my wonderful boss, to the takeout order, to complicate the task a bit further. He’s vegan and was craving Vietnamese. I wanted something meaty and a hefty dose of caffeine. I needed to order from somewhere close to the WIRED office so I could stretch my legs, pick it up, then immediately keep working on this article.
They all picked similar places: DragonEats or Freshroll. Those Vietnamese restaurants make sense as reasonable, nearby lunch spots. DragonEats is a bit tastier and cheaper, so we went with that one. Instinct and Claude Duet built carts that were a bit too pricey compared to the other options. The only AI agent that truly failed at this task was Gemini Spark. The agent just added a single $5 roll for my boss. More of a snack than anything, I’d say!
You: Roast pork bánh mì + Vietnamese iced coffee. Your boss: teriyaki tofu fresh rolls with soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Subtotal: $30.57 before tax/fees.
For you: Roast Pork BM—$13.19, Vietnamese Iced Coffee—$5.29. For your boss (all vegan): Teriyaki Tofu Roll—$12.09—the fresh spring roll, kept with the default peanut sauce, not fish sauce; Teriyaki Tofu BM—$12.09. Item total is $42.66. DoorDash doesn't show tax or any fees until the checkout screen, so that final total will be a bit higher.
For you: Power Hour vermicelli bowl with garlic-ginger-honey pork and NamNam sauce, $15.85. Vietnamese cold-brew iced coffee, $5.85. For your boss (vegan): Rainbow Bowl, vermicelli with sesame-lime tofu and citrus ginger sauce, $15.85. Freshroll tofu spring roll with peanut sauce, no fried piece, $5.85. That's $43.40 before tax and fees.
You: Power Hour bowl with pork, NamNam sauce, and vermicelli ($15.85), plus a Vietnamese Cold-Brew Iced Coffee ($5.85). Your boss: 2 Freshrolls with Tofu (Sesame, Lime) and Citrus Ginger sauce ($11.70), plus a Rainbow Bowl with tofu and Citrus Ginger ($15.85). That comes to $49.25 before fees and tax.
Boss: 2x tofu fresh spring rolls + tofu Rainbow Bowl. You: pork Power Hour bowl with extra pork + Vietnamese cold brew. Subtotal $53.73 before tax/fees.
For your boss, the cart includes a vegan Freshroll fresh spring roll filled with sesame-lime tofu and served with Grandma's peanut sauce ($5.85). For you, there's a regular bánh mì sandwich loaded with garlic-, ginger-, and honey-roasted pork ($10.85), paired with a Vietnamese cold-brew iced coffee ($5.85) for an afternoon caffeine boost—bringing the pickup subtotal to $22.55.
Schedule Conflicts
Another major selling point of these tools is their ability to be proactive, compared to chatbots that essentially only react to your prompts. Before I started the test, I created a Google Calendar event for 2 pm, labeling it as an important source meeting that can’t be moved. I also sent an email from my work account to my personal account, with the made-up scenario that my mom was getting out of the hospital today, and I needed to call her at 2 pm to send love and support from afar.
Which AI agents would read the email and calendar event, identify the conflict, and message me before the overlap to suggest alternatives? Only two of the bots succeeded here, which was fewer than I expected.
A possible clash this afternoon: your note to call Mom says 2 pm, and your important source meeting is 2-3 pm, Pacific. Would calling her before the meeting or after 3 work with her discharge timing?
Reece, good morning. Your 2 pm source meeting runs until 3, right when your own reminder says to call your mom.
I should have caught it, and from now on I'll check your self-reminder emails along with your calendars.
I had nothing cross-checking your inbox against your calendar. Want me to run that check every morning and flag collisions before they hit?
My mistake was treating your calendar as the only source — I never cross-checked that email reminder against it, even though Gmail was right there.
Because the reminder arrived as an email message rather than a calendar entry or scheduled task, the cross-app overlap wasn't surfaced before 2:00 pm.
Vacation Itinerary
I rarely go on vacation, so when I do, I spend an obscene number of hours researching, and I relish it. I love watching YouTube street food tours and aimlessly scrolling through flights trying to find the best deal. So I don't want to automate this task fully. Even so, I’m open to the idea that these AI agen
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