Poke Becomes First AI Agent on Apple iMessage

Poke, a startup making AI agents accessible via text message, has become the first AI agent approved to run on Apple's Messages for Business platform. Previously limited to businesses communicating with their own customers, the platform has never before hosted standalone third-party AI agents. Poke, backed by Spark Capital and General Catalyst and valued at $300 million, pays Apple a per-user fee for access. The service, which has relayed 100 million messages across SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp, helps users with tasks like calendar management, smart home control, and photo editing. The news arrives days before Apple's WWDC conference.