Key Takeaways:
Apple has opened its Messages for Business platform to AI agents for the first time, approving Poke — a startup that lets users interact with artificial intelligence as simply as sending a text.
Poke, launched in March by Palo Alto-based The Interaction Company of California, has become the first AI agent approved to run on Apple's Messages for Business platform, which was previously limited to partnered businesses such as airlines, retailers and hotel chains. The AI service has relayed 100 million messages to date across SMS, Telegram and WhatsApp, and will now add iMessage to its supported platforms.
"Apple is just noticing this is the best way to offer AI, and actually, good for them, because they charge us per user on the platform and make money with this, especially if it becomes really big," Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, said. He declined to share exact pricing but noted it is significantly lower than Meta AI's fees after the company raised rates in response to EU regulation requiring third-party AI agents on WhatsApp.
Poke helps users with daily planning, calendar management, health and fitness tracking, smart home control and photo editing — all through text-based conversation. The approval process required Apple to verify that Poke could offer live support when needed, that its AI agent was clearly identified as such, and that its user interface adhered to Apple's design guidelines, including link previews instead of inline links. Von Hagen said the process took "a couple of months" and that being first had "a lot to do with trust."
Why Apple's platform matters for AI agents
The approval arrives days before Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company is expected to introduce an AI-optimized version of Siri alongside other AI tools for developers. Apple has also been rumored to open its App Store to AI agents, though Poke's integration uses the Messages for Business channel — a business-to-consumer interface for support, appointment scheduling and information — rather than a consumer-facing app.
Apple's Messages for Business platform offers a standardized interface supporting both automated chat systems and live agents. The per-user revenue model creates a new income stream for Apple as AI agents proliferate. Von Hagen said he believes Apple's support for AI agents will grow over time.
Competitive landscape and investor takeaway
The approval signals that Apple is willing to integrate third-party AI agents into its ecosystem, potentially pressuring competitors such as Meta, which already permits AI agents on WhatsApp in certain markets. For Poke, the iMessage integration opens access to Apple's installed base of more than 1 billion iPhone users, though the service is currently rolling out invites to existing users who can optionally move to the iMessage experience.
For investors, the development validates the thesis that AI agents will increasingly operate through existing messaging platforms rather than standalone apps. Apple's willingness to charge on a per-user basis — rather than blocking AI agents — suggests the company sees AI as a services revenue opportunity. The startup's 100 million messages in roughly three months since launch indicates early consumer demand for text-based AI interaction, though the service appeared to experience issues shortly after the announcement, with some users reporting delayed responses.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
