Short answer
An AI agent you can text is delegated to like a person: you send a plain message by iMessage, SMS or WhatsApp, and it does the work in your tools and replies. The same employee also answers your customers' texts. It remembers earlier requests, asks when unsure, and can wait for your approval.
Texting is already how work gets assigned
'Can you move my 3 pm to Thursday?' 'Did the Hendersons pay yet?' 'Send Maria the updated quote.' Owners already delegate in short messages, to whoever is within reach. The trouble is that a text to a busy person disappears into their other messages, and nobody tracks it.
An AI agent you can text keeps the part you like, the one-line message, and fixes the part you don't: it does not forget, it tells you what it did, and it works at midnight.
Oraculo is a managed AI employee reachable by WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, Telegram, email, phone and its app on iOS, Android and web. This article is about the texting channels, and what to expect from them.
What you can ask for in one message
| You text | What happens | What comes back |
|---|---|---|
| Move my 3 pm to Thursday and tell Sam | Finds the meeting, checks Thursday, messages Sam, updates the invite | A confirmation with the new time |
| Who hasn't paid us this month? | Looks in your accounting and payment tools | A short list with amounts and days overdue |
| Send the Garcia quote again with a 10% discount | Prepares the revised quote and, with approvals on, waits for your yes | A preview, then a confirmation once sent |
| Post this photo to Instagram with a caption about Saturday's sale | Writes a caption, posts after approval | The link to the live post |
| Call the supplier and ask when the order ships | Places the call and notes the answer | A summary of what they said |
Photos, PDFs and voice recordings work too. Send a picture of a receipt and it reads it; forward a contract and it summarizes the dates.
iMessage, SMS or WhatsApp: which one to use
You do not have to choose forever. Oraculo has one memory across all channels, so a request on WhatsApp in the morning and a follow-up by iMessage in the afternoon refer to the same thing.
- iMessage. Best if you and your team live on iPhones; it feels like texting a coworker.
- WhatsApp. The natural choice for owners who work with international customers or a team on mixed phones.
- SMS. Works for anyone with any phone, including customers who will never download an app. Useful for appointment reminders and quotes.
- Slack or Telegram. Better for team conversations where several people send requests; see AI agent for Slack and AI agent for Telegram.
- The app. Useful when you want a history of everything it has done.
For WhatsApp in particular, see WhatsApp AI agent for business.
Texting in both directions: you, and your customers
The same employee also texts on your behalf. Customers who text your business number get fast answers, appointment confirmations and follow-up. Leads who fill out a form get a message within minutes. You get a summary, not every message.
That means one AI employee covers the inside of the business (your requests to it) and the outside (customers' messages to you). The separation is yours to set: you can decide which numbers it may text, what it may say, and what needs your approval before sending.
A sample delegation
At 9 pm from the couch you text: “Anyone who asked for a quote this week and hasn't heard back, text them tomorrow morning with a friendly check-in. Don't mention price. And tell me tomorrow at noon who replied.”
- Finds this week's quote requests with no reply on record.
- Waits until morning, then texts each person a personal check-in using the name and what they asked about.
- Handles simple answers, such as scheduling a call, and logs the replies.
- At noon texts you the list: replied, booked, still quiet.
Habits that make texting work well
- Be specific about the outcome. 'Remind Sam' is weaker than 'remind Sam Friday morning and tell me if he doesn't answer.'
- Say what not to do. 'Don't mention price' or 'don't promise a date' prevents most problems.
- Set approval levels. Start with approval for anything sent to customers or involving money, and loosen it as trust builds.
- Answer its questions. If it asks which Garcia you mean, a one-word reply keeps things moving.
- Read the daily summary. It is the audit trail.
More on writing good requests is in how to delegate to an AI employee.
What should not be handled by text alone
- Large payments or contract signatures. Use approval flows rather than a quick yes.
- Sensitive personnel or legal matters.
- Anything you would not want screenshotted. Texts live on phones and carriers.
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, access is role-based and logged, and you can export everything and leave.
How Oraculo handles this, and what it costs
Starter is $12 per hour of work with a 6-hour weekly minimum, about $312 a month. Business is $8 per hour with a 43-hour weekly minimum, about $1,500 a month, with a dedicated Slack account manager. You pay by a published task-time chart, so a quick text that triggers a small task is billed as a small task. Setup is $499 one time with four 1-hour Zoom sessions. Phone calls are $0.19 a minute, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
To text it yourself during a call, book a 20-minute demo.
Key takeaway
You already delegate by text. An AI agent you can text makes those messages reliable: it does the task, remembers it, and tells you when it is done.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really text an AI agent like an employee?
Yes. With Oraculo you send a plain-language message by iMessage, SMS or WhatsApp, and it does the work in your tools and replies. It remembers earlier conversations and asks when something is unclear.
Does it work over iMessage and SMS?
Yes. Oraculo is reachable by WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, Telegram, email, phone and its app. It is one employee with one memory across all of them.
Can it text my customers too?
Yes. It answers customers' texts, sends confirmations and reminders, and follows up on leads. You control which messages need your approval first.
What if it misunderstands my request?
It asks a clarifying question or shows a preview before acting on anything important. You can require approval for customer messages, payments and other key actions.
What does texting cost?
Billing is by the hour of work on a published task-time chart. Starter is $12 an hour with a 6-hour weekly minimum, about $312 a month, plus $499 one-time setup. Phone calls are $0.19 a minute.