Cognition acquires AI assistant Poke to integrate with its Devin coding agent

AI coding startup Cognition has acquired The Interaction Company of California, the company behind the AI assistant Poke. The deal, valued in the "low nine figures" in U.S. dollars, highlights the growing importance of personality in AI assistants as a competitive differentiator.

The acquisition will see Poke's interaction model and personality integrated into Cognition's coding agent, Devin. This move aims to enhance the user experience, making Devin more intuitive and pleasant to interact with for programming tasks.

In turn, Poke will benefit from Cognition's resources, including its advanced models and infrastructure, to improve its own speed and reliability. The combination reflects a broader industry trend where the way an AI assistant interacts with users is becoming as critical as the underlying models powering it.

Company statements suggest that an AI assistant's ability to communicate effectively and foster a positive user relationship is considered as vital as its technical capabilities. The acquisition of Poke reinforces Cognition's strategy to imbue Devin with a more personable and approachable "personality" for coding endeavors.