Consumers regularly switch between emails, chats, and calendar apps, often juggling both personal and work demands in rapid succession. As artificial intelligence assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT have become more widespread, few have integrated into the daily flow of digital interactions as smoothly as messaging apps. Now, Palo Alto-based startup Interaction is introducing Poke, an AI assistant designed to embed into iMessage, aiming to place helpful AI exactly where users communicate most frequently. This move reflects a push to reduce friction for end users and make AI support a seamless part of everyday conversations.
Earlier products like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant required either new habits, extra apps, or separate devices, often leading to uneven adoption. While ChatGPT showed significant potential for general-purpose AI, integration into daily messaging patterns remained out of reach. Now, with Interaction’s recent launch and its significant $15 million funding round at a $100 million valuation, there is renewed industry interest in the potential for messaging-based AI assistants to close this gap. Unlike previous assistants that remained isolated from the main user attention centers, Poke intends to operate within existing conversation platforms, potentially changing how people approach personal productivity, reminders, and everyday planning.
How Does Poke Fit Into Messaging Apps?
Poke integrates directly into iMessage or WhatsApp as just another contact, offering services ranging from flight bookings to research summaries and dinner suggestions from within the chat thread. By removing the need to switch between separate applications, Interaction founders Marvin von Hagen and Felix Schlegel seek to address the growing demand for AI that adapts to individual workflows without adding complexity. Their beta testing among over 6,000 users, including employees from industry giants like OpenAI and Google, revealed that embedding AI into messaging threads encourages natural adoption and diverse use cases.
What Feedback Emerged From Early Users?
Feedback from initial testers highlighted that Poke supports a nuanced blend of productivity and social interaction. Users employed Poke not only for logistical tasks but also for generating educational materials for children or seeking advice on personal matters.
“Beta testers shared personal stories and sought relationship advice, not just email-related tasks,” von Hagen said. “This taught us that personality, conversationality and emotional intelligence were as important as technical performance.”
CTO Schlegel emphasized the need for easy access, stating,
“Users want easy access to A.I. the same way they text their partner, friends, parents and colleagues.”
How Are Privacy and Expansion Being Addressed?
Privacy remains a key concern as more sensitive activities move into chat threads. Interaction responded by designing a ‘Maximum Privacy’ mode, where even engineers are restricted from accessing user communications, while offering transparency and fine data controls. The company is working toward SOC 2 compliance, anticipating further integrations with finance, scheduling, and team-based tools. As the founders focus on scaling, localization and infrastructure improvements are planned to accommodate users worldwide, extending beyond Silicon Valley to areas with variable connectivity and different languages.
When comparing this development with previous attempts to merge AI with daily communication habits, earlier industry trials suffered from limited trust and the inconvenience of switching between platforms. Efforts before Poke often targeted broad smart home applications or basic information retrieval, falling short in handling the dynamic, multifaceted nature of modern messaging. Poke’s approach of embedding AI in widely used chat platforms signals a shift toward contextual, on-demand assistance that does not require significant user adjustment, potentially making AI support more accessible and habitual for users from varying backgrounds.
With investors betting $15 million on Interaction and its AI assistant Poke, the evolution of digital assistants appears to be trending toward deep integration with natural conversation flows and user routines. For professionals managing group chats, invoicing, and travel arrangements, having AI functions embedded directly in messaging services can streamline tasks and reduce cognitive overload. Privacy and adaptability remain ongoing challenges, but the company’s efforts to bolster compliance and ensure robust data handling could set a standard for future AI-messaging solutions. As major language models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Voyage, and Mistral AI are brought together in Poke’s backend, users are likely to benefit from a more versatile and resourceful assistant. Anyone interested in digital productivity may wish to follow how well Poke can scale across new regions, demographics, and use cases. Keeping privacy settings and clear data sharing guidelines in mind will be important for users considering similar integrations in the future.
- Poke by Interaction brings AI into iMessage and WhatsApp.
- The company promises strong privacy controls for users’ sensitive data.
- Investors valued Interaction at $100 million following its recent funding.
