Vc uses AI to attempt restaurant reservation, faces account suspension

A venture capitalist, JC Bahr-de Stefano, attempted to secure a reservation at New York's 4 Charles Prime Rib using an AI tool called Instinct. The AI, which communicates via text, was designed to check for open tables more frequently than a human could manually. However, Instinct's high-frequency API requests overwhelmed Resy's system, leading to a temporary account suspension. Resy, owned by American Express, stated that unapproved bots violate its Terms of Service and risk the platform's integrity. Bahr-de Stefano's account was flagged for spam due to its bot-like behavior, including checking availability every 10 minutes and every 0.4 seconds during peak reservation times. Resy later reinstated his account with a warning against future violations. Bahr-de Stefano plans to continue using Instinct but will set parameters to prevent similar issues. He emphasized the need for platforms to distinguish between legitimate AI agents and malicious bots. Bahr-de Stefano noted the tool's success in other tasks, such as booking medical appointments and planning Paris trips. He shared screenshots of Resy and American Express emails warning of potential permanent account closure. The incident highlights the challenges of regulating AI agents as they navigate online systems, often bending or breaking rules in pursuit of efficiency.