Town introduces a group chat assistant for scheduling and group logistics

Software startup Town has expanded its virtual assistant by enabling it to participate directly in group text messages. The tool, known as a Townie, can read chat threads alongside human participants and collaborate with other users' assistants to handle group logistics. It can align schedules, scan inbox messages for relevant details, and complete web tasks through an integrated browser.

Planning group outings, family schedules, or team dinners often involves endless back and forth messaging. By putting an automated assistant inside the group chat, users can delegate administrative headaches like picking dates, matching dietary preferences, or buying tickets. Because the assistant can navigate websites to fill out forms and reserve tables, it handles the repetitive digital legwork while still requiring human confirmation before spending money or making official bookings.

While the feature promises to streamline social planning, giving an automated bot access to personal email, calendars, and browser sessions inside group chats introduces potential privacy risks. If one person in a thread drops their security restrictions, sensitive personal data could inadvertently leak across connected assistants. It remains to be seen whether users will trust an AI agent enough to let it navigate online portals and make purchases on their behalf in shared spaces, or if security worries will keep adoption limited.