Why Cognition bought Poke: AI personality is becoming a competitive advantage

Poke, the AI assistant you text like a friend , is making its next big move. The company behind the assistant, The Interaction Company of California , has been acquired by AI coding startup Cognition in a deal valuing the startup in the “low nine figures.”

The deal will bring Poke’s interaction model and personality to Cognition’s coding assistant Devin. Meanwhile, Poke will take advantage of Cognition’s models and infrastructure to become faster and more reliable, Cognition said.

What makes Poke interesting to consumers — and now, to its acquirer — is how it engages with users’ requests. Instead of functioning like a tool, Poke chats more familiarly with users, responding like a friend and even incorporating slang and humor into its interactions. That’s something that could add value to Devin’s coding agent.