Telegram and xAI have announced a one-year partnership in May 2025 to integrate xAI’s AI-powered chatbot, Grok, into Telegram’s platform, which boasts over one billion monthly active users. This collaboration, unveiled by Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, marks a significant step in merging cutting-edge AI with one of the world’s most popular messaging apps.
With a $300 million deal and ambitious plans to enhance user experience, this partnership positions both companies to challenge industry giants like OpenAI, Meta AI, and WhatsApp.
The partnership, valued at $300 million in cash and equity from xAI to Telegram, includes a revenue-sharing model where Telegram will earn 50% of subscription revenue from xAI’s Grok services sold through its platform. This financial injection bolsters Telegram’s position as it pursues a $1.5 billion bond sale to repurchase earlier debt, signaling robust confidence in its growth strategy.
For xAI, the deal expands Grok’s reach beyond its primary platform, X, tapping into Telegram’s vast user base to accelerate adoption and compete in the rapidly evolving AI market.
While Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced the partnership with enthusiasm, Elon Musk, xAI’s founder, clarified on X that the agreement is “in principle,” with formalities still pending as of May 28th. This suggests that while the strategic vision is clear, operational details are being finalized, reflecting cautious optimism about the collaboration’s potential.
Grok’s integration into Telegram is designed to enhance the messaging experience with AI-driven functionalities. Users can access Grok via Telegram’s search bar, pinned chats, or the dedicated @GrokAI bot.
The chatbot offers features such as threaded conversations, smart text editing, chat summaries, document digests, group chat moderation, and writing suggestions. These tools aim to streamline communication and boost productivity for Telegram’s diverse user base, from casual chatters to crypto enthusiasts and businesses.
However, advanced Grok features like “Think” and “DeepSearch” modes, which allow for deeper analysis and iterative web searches, remain exclusive to X and the standalone Grok app. Initially, Grok access on Telegram is limited to Premium subscribers ($4.99/month in the US), but plans are in place to roll it out to all users starting in summer 2025, broadening its impact.
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For xAI, this partnership is a strategic leap to scale Grok’s presence in a competitive AI landscape dominated by players like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta AI. By leveraging Telegram’s billion-strong user base, xAI gains a massive new audience, potentially collecting valuable user interaction data (shared explicitly through direct Grok interactions) to refine its AI models.
For Telegram, integrating Grok enhances its platform’s functionality, positioning it as a direct competitor to WhatsApp and Signal, both of which have adopted AI features to stay relevant.
Despite the excitement, the partnership faces challenges. Privacy concerns linger due to Telegram’s optional end-to-end encryption and Durov’s 2024 arrest in France over platform moderation issues. Durov has emphasized that Grok will only access data users explicitly share, aiming to assuage fears.
Additionally, Grok’s reputation has been tested by controversial outputs, such as remarks on “white genocide” in South Africa, attributed to an unauthorized modification. xAI is reportedly implementing safeguards to ensure reliability.
