Apple Approves First iMessage AI Agent Poke
Apple Inc. has approved a third-party AI agent for its iMessage Business platform for the first time, granting 'Poke'—developed by The Interaction Company—access to users' iMessage threads for tasks spanning planning, health, and smart home control, although with stringent oversight. The move positions Apple's ecosystem for external AI integration ahead of WWDC 2026, balancing data privacy with new revenue streams.
The approval process required human fallback mechanisms and AI labeling, and Apple enforces strict UI adherence. The company uses an architecture of approved MSPs and opaque IDs to limit user data exposure, though prompt injection remains an unsolved security risk. Additionally, Apple charges a per-user fee, which is lower than Meta's per-message fee on WhatsApp, creating a recurring revenue model similar to the App Store.
By opening iMessage to external AI while retaining technical and economic gatekeeping, Apple imposes high entry barriers on developers, including mandatory human support and strict interface guidelines. However, the per-user fee encourages longer conversations compared to per-message models, potentially changing how AI agents interact with users.
