- Apple has added Poke’s AI chatbot to its Messages for Business platform.
What actually happened: Apple announced on June 4 that Poke, a startup that lets users interact with AI agents via plain text, became the first AI agent cleared for Messages for Business. The platform, introduced in 2023, lets companies integrate tools into iMessage for customer support and sales. Poke’s integration required Apple’s review for security and privacy compliance.
Why it matters: The approval gives Poke a direct line to iPhone users through a channel many businesses already use, sidestepping the need for a separate app. It also shows Apple is willing to open its tightly‑controlled ecosystem to third‑party AI services, a step that could spur more enterprise AI tools built on iMessage.
The move is modest, not a headline‑grabbing pivot, but it hints at a gradual shift toward AI‑enabled messaging in the Apple ecosystem.