TechCrunch rounds up SMS AI agents as Instinct hits $10B valuation
Kyrannio · x · 2026-10-04
TechCrunch published a roundup of notable AI agents that live in text messages (iMessage/RCS): users text them like a person, and agents remember context, connect to existing apps, and handle scheduling, travel research, reservations, and shopping. Instinct is the buzziest after a $1B round at a $10B valuation; other entrants like Caddy target families, travel, and work use cases.
Quote-tweeter @hjack sharply criticized the category as VC-driven 'productivity bots' solving invented problems, igniting debate over whether SMS agents have real value.
More from AGI Musings
- Replit CEO Amjad Masad: general models should JIT-train their own smaller replacements — amasad · 2026-10-04
- Musk envisions a robot buddy for everyone and 'universal high income' in 90% good outcome — heyshrutimishra · 2026-10-04
- Pedro Domingos: OpenAI and Anthropic Will Hemorrhage Talent After IPO — pmddomingos · 2026-10-04
- Language acquisition is gradually separating messy signals into labeled concepts — ctjlewis · 2026-10-04
- Even billionaires only get 30 minutes with top doctors — AI removes that scarcity — adityaag · 2026-10-04
- davidad on consciousness: all valid causal orders exist, the world is underdetermined — davidad · 2026-10-04