Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, discussed the potential launch of the app’s own AI-powered chatbot program in an interview, according to indiatoday. As reported by Business Insider, originally attributed to the Financial Times, Durov mentioned that his company might consider fundraising to finance its ambitions in the artificial intelligence sector and has explored the possibility of creating an AI chatbot.
Telegram, widely used for its fully encrypted messaging, has often been compared to WhatsApp due to its similar features to the Meta-owned platform. A few months ago, WhatsApp also introduced an AI chatbot, and Meta’s Instant Messaging platform provided its AI Chatbot to beta testers. In November, a report by WABetaInfo revealed that an Android update includes a shortcut button to access the AI-supported chatbot program in the “Conversations” section, allowing users to interact with the AI chatbot without going through their entire chat history.
The report also mentioned that users could use the AI chatbot to answer questions related to WhatsApp, receive customer support, and assist in tasks like scheduling appointments or making reservations.
Returning to Telegram, the app unveiled a feature similar to WhatsApp last week. It allows users to easily convert their personal accounts into business accounts by subscribing to a monthly fee, aiming to support small businesses like cafes and shops by allowing them to display essential details such as location and working hours.
TOI reported that CEO Pavel Durov discussed the features of business accounts when introducing the feature, focusing on capabilities such as organizing chats with color tags, using automatic greetings or remote messages, and employing shortcuts for quick responses. Additionally, the CEO shared plans for more business-oriented features, including the integration of AI chatbots to enhance customer service.
Telegram’s revenue generation approach differs from WhatsApp Business, relying on subscription fees for business features access. In contrast, WhatsApp Business, owned by Meta, generates revenue based on the nature and frequency of conversations.
