Text-based AI agents multiply, from family planners to a creator content assistant

Key points

TechCrunch's Oct. 24, 2026 roundup lists agents you text via iMessage, SMS, RCS, WhatsApp or Telegram, including Instinct, Caddy, Folk, Ollie and Stanley.
Instinct raised $1 billion in September at a $10 billion valuation and remains in private beta; it now gives agents dedicated email addresses.
Stanley targets creators: it connects to Instagram, turns voice notes into scripts and captions, and schedules posts from a content calendar.
Pricing ranges from free tiers to $21 per month for Martin, $25 for Ollie's paid plans and $15 per employee for Ask Proxy's business tier.

Why it matters for marketers: Texting is becoming a distribution channel for agents that handle tasks and content, so marketers should plan for customers and creators delegating work through messaging instead of apps.

TechCrunch published a roundup of AI agents that people use by sending text messages rather than installing another app. The agents remember context, connect to email and calendars, and complete tasks such as booking reservations, shopping, sending email or setting reminders.

Funding is flowing in. Instinct, described as the buzziest of the group, raised $1 billion in September at a $10 billion valuation. Tab emerged from stealth in early October at a $300 million valuation, and Fambot raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding. Poke became the first AI agent approved on Apple Messages for Business in June, and its parent company was later acquired by Cognition, according to TechCrunch.

For content teams, the most relevant entry may be Stanley, which acts as an AI head of content for creators. It works over iMessage, Telegram and the web, links to Instagram for context, and converts voice notes into scripts and captions. Other agents, such as Ask Proxy, offer work-focused versions with per-employee pricing, which shows vendors pitching to companies as well as consumers.

Marketers should watch how these assistants handle shopping, discovery and recommendations, since users are asking them for gift ideas, restaurants and events. Autonomy also draws scrutiny: TechCrunch notes that Instinct's practice of letting agents manage their own accounts has raised privacy and security concerns. Many products remain in beta, so test them before building workflows around them.