Telegram’s AI Leap? Durov Says Yes, Musk Says “Not Yet” in xAI Deal Drama

The tech world was caught off guard this week when Telegram CEO Pavel Durov made a bold announcement: Elon Musk’s xAI will partner with Telegram to bring its advanced Grok chatbot to the messaging app’s massive user base.

Durov, posting on X (formerly Twitter), claimed the deal would see Telegram users gaining access to Grok’s capabilities “this summer,” marking what he called a one-year partnership with Musk. The deal, according to Durov, includes $300 million in cash and equity from xAI, plus a 50% commission on xAI subscriptions sold via Telegram.

“This also strengthens Telegram’s financial position,” said Durov. “Together, we win.”

But not so fast—Elon Musk quickly responded, contradicting Durov’s statement with a blunt reply: “No deal has been signed.”

This contradiction has left both tech insiders and users wondering: is this a misunderstanding, a deal in the works, or something else entirely?

What is Grok and Why Does It Matter?

Grok is xAI’s flagship large language model and is currently in its third version. Experts say Grok 3 rivals or surpasses models like GPT-4o and Claude 3.5, especially in areas such as logic, math, language processing, and scientific reasoning.

The model can process massive volumes of text—up to 1 million tokens—thanks to its training on the Colossus supercomputer, powered by 100,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs. Grok 3 is said to have used over 200 million GPU hours for training, making it one of the most powerful AI models to date.

Still, Grok isn’t without controversy. Earlier this month, it faced backlash after it generated bizarre and inappropriate responses involving “white genocide” in South Africa—a reminder of the risks that come with advanced AI systems.

Telegram’s Troubled Year

This potential partnership comes amid a turbulent period for Telegram. In August 2024, Durov was arrested in France on multiple fraud-related charges upon arriving from Azerbaijan. Though later released, he remains under legal restrictions and cannot leave the country without approval—a request to visit the U.S. was recently denied.

Shortly after the arrest, Telegram reversed its longstanding policy on privacy. The company announced it would now share user IP addresses and phone numbers with authorities following valid legal requests, signaling a significant shift aimed at reducing criminal abuse of the platform.

The Bigger Picture

Whether or not the Telegram-xAI partnership officially moves forward, the incident highlights the growing influence of AI in messaging platforms—and the high-stakes drama that can come with it.

If the deal is real, Telegram could be poised to transform itself into a next-generation communication hub powered by one of the most sophisticated AIs on the market. If not, Durov’s claims may simply reflect ambitions that have yet to be finalized.

One thing is clear: AI integration is no longer a maybe—it’s the future.

{Source: Computing UK}

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