xAI’s Grok chatbot is expected to be integrated directly into the Telegram app starting summer 2025.
The feature is planned as a native integration, not a separate bot or plugin.
This follows a public announcement from Telegram’s CEO about a proposed partnership between Telegram and xAI - aiming to reach Telegram’s 1 billion+ users.
đź“Ł What the Company Is Saying
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov posted on X:
“This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market. @elonmusk and I have agreed to a 1-year partnership to bring xAI’s @grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps.”
He also stated that the proposal includes:
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$300 million in cash and equity from xAI to Telegram
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50% revenue share on Grok subscriptions sold via Telegram
However, Elon Musk later clarified:
“No deal has been signed.”
Durov acknowledged that the deal is currently an agreement in principle, with formalities still pending.
🧠What That Means (In Human Words)
If finalized, Grok will be built directly into Telegram - no separate download, no added contact.
You’ll be able to use it through:
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The search bar
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A pinned chat
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Group tools for summarising or drafting messages
It will act like a smart assistant - ready to generate responses, help with writing, and summarise messages.
It won’t co-write live with you like Notion AI or Docs - but it’ll sit right inside your chat flow.
🧩 Let’s Connect the Dots
Telegram has over 1 billion monthly active users but until now, the only way to access LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude inside the app has been through third-party bots. That wasn’t a limitation - it was a strategic decision. Telegram held off on native LLMs, likely waiting to decide where it stands. And now, it looks like Grok is that decision.
Meanwhile, Grok has seen big traffic spikes, but not major adoption:
It currently has around 17.6 million monthly active users - far behind ChatGPT’s 600+ million or Gemini’s 400 million, both of which are deeply integrated across apps and platforms.
So this deal - if finalized - is really about two late movers teaming up to make a statement.
Telegram brings the reach.
xAI brings the AI.
And Telegram appears to be locking down access to other LLMs to give this one a real shot.
Instead of building something alone or competing on every front, they're going for the simplest strategy possible:
Join forces - and block the door behind them.
đź’° Bottom Line
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Launch: Summer 2025 (if deal is finalized)
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Users: Targeting Telegram’s 1B+ user base
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Access: Native - built into the app, no download or bot needed
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Use: Through search, pinned chat, and group tools
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Cost:
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Planned to be free for the first year
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Subscription required after
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Deal Status:
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Not signed
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Agreement in principle only
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No confirmed cash or equity transfer yet
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Link: CryptoSlate article
🧊 Frozen Light Team Perspective
When we first saw the news, we said - this one doesn’t need explaining.
Just clearly smart moves from two vendors who want to join forces.
We looked at the maybe-deal for Telegram and thought:
Wow. They got a good deal.
Cash, equity, 50% revenue share - that’s no small thing.
And access to Grok, free for a whole year?
That could lead to massive adoption, right?
We even started debating whether a full year of free access would be enough to get people hooked - and paying.
If things go well, summer 2026 should’ve paid for the whole thing.
But then Elon Musk stepped in to clarify:
No deal has been signed.
Just an agreement in principle.
And honestly? That made sense.
Because we weren’t the only ones who looked at it and thought -
“This sounds too good. Maybe we wait.”
So here we are.
Look at us - we’re main users of two LLMs, and we’re stretched thin between them.
And we’ll add honestly: Grok is not one of them.
So would meeting it inside Telegram make us say “forever and ever”?
Not likely - but we’re open to surprises.
We’re definitely not the only ones feeling a little skeptical.
But we wish Telegram and Grok all the best this year -
and we’ll be watching closely and keeping you posted.
