Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has partnered with Telegram in a significant way to integrate its Grok chatbot throughout the messaging app. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced the collaboration on Tuesday, bringing Grok’s AI capabilities to Telegram users worldwide for a one-year contract.
According to Durov, xAI would give the chat app $300 million in cash and shares as part of the agreement. Additionally, 50% of the revenue made from xAI subscriptions bought via the Telegram platform will go to Telegram.
Durov said in a post on his Telegram channel.
“This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market.”
For both businesses, the collaboration represents a strategic growth. Grok was previously only available to Telegram’s premium subscribers, but the new agreement suggests a broader deployment that might eventually reach the app’s entire user base, which currently reaches over 1 billion worldwide.
A promotional video posted by Durov on X claims that Grok will include many in-app capabilities, including:
- Access to pinned chatbots at the top of discussions
- Integration of a search bar for immediate Q&A
- Suggestions for intelligent text
- Overview of documents, connections, and conversations
- Tools for group moderation
- Features of business help
- AI-powered sticker creation
These characteristics are part of a larger movement in messaging platforms to directly integrate AI into user interactions. For instance, Meta has already started implementing Meta AI into the WhatsApp and Instagram search bars. The announcement aligns with a number of well-known Telegram updates. On the same day that BlackRock took part in Telegram’s $1.5 billion bond issue, reports surfaced. Additionally, Nikola Plecas, a former crypto executive at Visa, is the Vice President of Payments at the TON Foundation.
Since January, Toncoin has been the sole cryptocurrency accepted by Telegram for in-app services, since the company has been aggressively developing around the TON blockchain. According to CoinGecko, Toncoin surged more than 20% to $3.60 after the announcement of the xAI cooperation and subsequent Telegram updates. The token now has a market value of about $8.9 billion, making it the 19th largest cryptocurrency.
This partnership between Telegram and xAI seems like a powerful step toward bringing advanced AI to everyday chat experiences. Giving users access to Grok directly in the app, especially through the search bar and chat features, could change the way people use Telegram daily. Plus, Telegram earning 50% of Grok’s in-app revenue shows that it’s not just about innovation, but also a strong business strategy. With the TON ecosystem also gaining momentum, Telegram is positioning itself as more than just a messenger. It’s becoming an all-in-one platform blending AI, crypto, and communication.
