Telegram has entered into an agreement with xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, to bring the Telegram Grok chatbot integration to its user base for a twelve month period. As part of this arrangement, xAI will provide Telegram with a payment of three hundred million dollars in cash and equity, according to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.
In addition to the upfront funds, Telegram is set to benefit from half of the revenue generated through xAI subscriptions that are purchased directly within the app. Grok had previously been accessible only to those with Telegram’s premium subscription, but the new deal is expected to expand its availability to the entire user base.
Grok’s Functions Coming to Millions
Footage released by Durov on X showed off some of the chatbot’s forthcoming features in Telegram, including the ability to pin Grok at the top of conversations and consult the AI directly from the search bar. A similar arrangement has already been launched by Meta, which embedded its own AI assistant into the search functions of both WhatsApp and Instagram.
Grok’s capabilities will include offering suggestions while writing, summarizing conversations, links, and documents, as well as helping users create stickers. Businesses will be able to seek answers from Grok, and the AI will lend support with moderation tasks inside channels and group chats.
The collaboration marks one of the largest moves by Telegram into artificial intelligence technology as it seeks to diversify its revenue streams beyond user subscriptions and advertising. For xAI, which is competing with established rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic, the extended exposure to Telegram’s hundreds of millions of users will be a significant boost. Read more about the Telegram xAI partnership.
