Social media app, Telegram is partnering with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI to bring the Grok chatbot to the popular messaging platform for $300 million cash and equity.
The deal was announced by Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Wednesday through a post on his X handle.
According to Durov, the partnership includes a mix of cash and equity investment and marks a significant collaboration in the rapidly evolving AI messaging space.
As part of the agreement, Grok will be integrated into Telegram’s app ecosystem for one year and made accessible across apps on the platform. Telegram will also receive 50% of all xAI subscription revenue generated through its app.
Grok goes mainstream on Telegram. While Grok had previously been available only to Telegram Premium users, the new deal signals a broader rollout.
Durov shared a promotional video on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing how users will be able to pin Grok to the top of chats, ask it questions directly from the search bar, and use it for tasks like summarizing chats and documents, writing suggestions, and creating stickers.
The AI tool is also being positioned as a business assistant, with features aimed at answering customer queries and supporting content moderation, functions that could appeal to Telegram’s growing base of entrepreneurs and community managers.
This move mirrors similar developments from Meta, which recently rolled out its own Meta AI in the search bars of Instagram and WhatsApp, highlighting the intensifying competition to embed generative AI into everyday messaging platforms.
The partnership offers Telegram a new revenue stream at a time when it is exploring monetization avenues beyond advertising and premium subscriptions.
With over 900 million users globally, Telegram’s platform offers xAI a massive distribution channel for Grok, especially in markets where AI tools are gaining popularity.