xAI pays Telegram $300M to add Grok

Telegram is diving deeper into the AI race, announcing a landmark partnership with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. As part of the agreement, xAI’s Grok chatbot will be integrated directly into the Telegram messaging platform and its app ecosystem for at least one year.

The deal is valued at $300 million, comprising both cash and equity, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov revealed on Tuesday. Alongside the upfront investment, Telegram will earn 50% of revenue from any xAI subscriptions purchased through its app, signaling a significant revenue-sharing opportunity.

From Premium to Platform-Wide

Grok, xAI’s flagship chatbot, had previously been made available to Telegram’s premium users earlier this year. With the new partnership, it appears that Grok will soon be accessible to all Telegram users—significantly broadening its reach.

A video shared by Durov on X showcased some of Grok's upcoming functionalities within the app. These include:

• Pinning Grok at the top of chat windows for easy access
• Search bar integration, allowing users to query Grok without opening a separate chat
• Assistance with writing, offering suggestions for messages and documents
• Summarization capabilities, for chats, articles, and links
• Custom sticker creation, powered by AI prompts
• Business support, including answering customer queries and moderating group chats

A Competitive Push Against Meta

Telegram’s move follows a broader trend of AI integrations in messaging apps. Meta has already embedded its own AI assistant across Instagram and WhatsApp, including within their search functions. Telegram’s integration of Grok directly challenges these efforts, positioning the chat app as a major player in the growing AI assistant space.

With over 900 million monthly active users, Telegram represents a major distribution channel for xAI, as the firm continues to seek practical real-world deployment for Grok. This partnership not only boosts Telegram's utility but could also serve as a real-world testing ground for Grok’s capabilities.

As both companies deepen their collaboration, the future of conversational AI could become increasingly tied to the everyday messaging experiences of millions of users.