Elon Musk’s Grok Could Soon Power Telegram’s Next-Gen AI Chat Experience

In a move that could reshape the global messaging landscape, Telegram is exploring the integration of Grok—the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s startup xAI—directly into its platform. The announcement came from Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, who disclosed details of a recent conversation with Musk.

Durov says the deal on the table is bold: integrate Grok into all Telegram apps worldwide, giving users a fresh kind of AI interaction that blends broad general knowledge with Musk’s trademark snark. Unlike other bots, Grok is positioned as a system with a broader worldview and sharper analytical capabilities.

But there’s a catch. Grok’s data operations are U.S.-based, raising alarms over user data sovereignty—especially for privacy-conscious nations like Russia. Critics, including Russian State Duma deputy Anton Gorelkin, have voiced concern over sensitive user data potentially falling under American jurisdiction.

Financially, the deal is massive. Telegram could net up to $300 million—partly in cash, partly as xAI equity—and stand to earn 50% of revenue generated from Grok subscriptions processed via the messaging app. Durov has pitched a one-year partnership agreement, though Musk has yet to sign. On X (formerly Twitter), Musk confirmed the deal isn’t final. Durov, too, acknowledged that only “formalities remain.”

If it goes through, this partnership could turn Telegram into one of the most AI-forward platforms in the messaging space—and give xAI a direct pipeline to over 800 million users. But for now, the future of Grok on Telegram remains in limbo.