Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has entered a partnership with Telegram to integrate its Grok chatbot into the messaging platform. The agreement, valued at $300 million, will allow xAI to reach Telegram’s vast user base of over one billion people, enhancing its position in the competitive AI industry.
According to Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s announcement on X, the collaboration is structured as a one-year deal. Under its terms, xAI will compensate Telegram with $300 million through a combination of cash and stock. Additionally, Telegram will receive 50% of any subscription revenue generated via the chatbot’s deployment on the app.
“This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market. I have agreed to a one-year partnership to bring xAI’s Grok to our billion plus users and integrate it across all Telegram apps,” Durov stated.
The partnership offers xAI a strategic advantage, potentially providing valuable real-time user data to improve and train its AI models. Notably, xAI acquired the social media platform X earlier this year in a transaction valuing it at $33 billion, a move that underscores Musk’s commitment to expanding AI capabilities across his ventures.
As many AI developers face challenges sourcing high-quality data, leveraging large-scale user interactions becomes increasingly essential for refining models. While the privacy policies of various platforms such as X permit the use of public posts for AI training, it remains unclear if xAI will employ Telegram user data similarly.
This alliance not only expands access to advanced AI tools for Telegram’s global audience but also strengthens the financial prospects for both companies amid growing demand for intelligent conversational agents.
