The AI assistants we mostly use are either apps, like ChatGPT, or built into operating systems like Google Gemini. What if your AI assistant was contacted only by SMS?
That’s the concept behind Textit2.me, an unusual project that may launch in the future, which leverages communication tech that is firmly rooted in the past.
Converse only by SMS
No app needed
Credit: TextIt2.me
Here’s the idea. You get a dedicated phone number for your AI assistant and grant it access to your calendar, email account, and cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Then, all requests to find data, add appointments, recall information, and check upcoming events are made through a familiar SMS conversation.
This leaves a complete, scrollable record of conversations, and because it doesn’t seem to include web search or chatbot duties, it should be relatively simple to keep track of what’s important.
It also strips away any of the growing complexity of using an on-device AI, removes the need to manually switch between apps, and boils an AI assistant back down to the basics again.
It’s an unusual take on the AI assistant, with a few interesting advantages.
Use any phone
Even a feature phone
When I read about Textit2.me, the first thing that came to mind was how it could be used with any phone.
Every phone, smart or dumb, sends and receives SMS. It doesn’t require a specific level of processing power, RAM, or a dedicated NPU.
This opens up basic AI assistant duties to those who, for whatever reason, don’t want a smartphone.
Feature phones often can’t run apps and don’t have Android installed, making it impossible to use an AI assistant. This changes with Textit2.me, which would bring data normally stored on a computer to your feature phone.
Because it’s linked to a specific telephone number, it’s possible to share it with friends and colleagues, so everyone can sync appointments or share documents.
There’s an accessibility angle, too, as some will be more familiar with a messaging app, and don’t really want the modern AI experience, where assistants rarely miss the chance to use 50 words when five would have done.
Finally, anyone who wants to spend less on data may appreciate an SMS-based service, rather than a data-heavy app.
How does it work?
There’s not much to it
The textit2.me service works with RCS messages in your existing messaging client, and uses Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant. It does not require any app download.
The list of supported apps is short at the moment, consisting of Gmail, Google and Apple calendars, Google Drive, and Dropbox.
A dedicated telephone number will be included to use the service, which means there is a cost involved. At the moment, this is set at $7 per month, but will increase to $10 per month for those who don’t support the project at the start.
What’s the catch?
More information needed
AI assistants do a lot more than the Siri’s and Bixby’s of old, and textit2.me seems to return to the simple “command and action” system many once appreciated.
Giving it a home in SMS potentially opens it up to a subset of people currently unable to use any AI assistant at all. This makes it intriguing, especially in a world where AI now does so much.
If you are also intrigued, you can sign up for the waitlist now. You can even reserve a spot for $5. If you’re interested, should you jump on board?
While this is an interesting fork in the fast-moving world of AI assistants, the project lacks some crucial information, and caution is probably the right approach for now.
Although the promotional site states the service only accesses data you authorize it to, and data won’t be used for training, that’s it on the privacy front.
This isn’t really enough. There’s no detailed privacy information, no contact information, no launch dates, and no backstory to the development on the website.
A Hacker News post introduces the concept, but the author does not have any history on the site. There’s nothing to go on at all, so it’s very much a “progress at your own risk” situation.
However, this doesn’t stop it from being an interesting alternative to the current fast-moving, feature-heavy world of AI assistants.
There is a use case for Textit2.me, even if it’s a niche one. This isn’t a negative either, as it’s arguably no more niche than many AI features, such as AI translation and memory tools like OnePlus’s Plus Mind, already bundled with every modern smartphone.
It’s one to watch for the future, if you prefer the rest of your tech to come from the past.
