A new personal artificial intelligence assistant called Tab has emerged from stealth with a reported valuation of $300 million.

The company announced its launch on Tuesday, joining a growing group of consumer AI companies developing assistants capable of carrying out everyday tasks on behalf of users.

Tab declined to disclose the exact amount of funding it has raised, but investors include SV Angel, Valar Ventures and American Spirit.

Tab was founded earlier this year by Brennan Erbz, Stafford Schlitt and Ammar Amdani. The service is designed to operate through familiar messaging platforms such as iMessage and WhatsApp.

Users can send the assistant requests ranging from ordering groceries and finding birthday presents to making reservations and arranging travel, with the system designed to complete the tasks rather than simply provide instructions.

Amdani said Tab has its own phone number, computer and digital wallet, allowing it to carry out tasks on behalf of users.

The company is positioning the product as an assistant that can reduce the burden of everyday responsibilities, including paying bills, making bookings, placing calls and remembering important personal commitments.

The company says it is currently growing largely through word of mouth and plans to introduce another product in the near future.

The launch comes as competition intensifies among companies developing personalised AI assistants. Amdani acknowledged that the industry is increasingly focused on making AI systems more capable, but argued that capability alone will not determine which companies succeed.

He compared the potential role of AI assistants to trusted professionals such as family doctors and bankers who understand their clients and look out for their interests.

Trust and privacy are therefore central to Tab’s approach. The company says user data will not be used to train AI systems, while payment card information is stored securely and cannot be accessed directly by Tab.

The company also says actions that cannot be reversed will require the user’s approval.

Amdani believes the future of personal AI will depend not only on what these systems can do, but also on whether people are willing to trust them with increasingly sensitive aspects of their lives.

Source: TechCrunch