A Thursday announcement revealed plans to bring artificial intelligence into Central American classrooms on an unprecedented scale. The xAI company will introduce its Grok chatbot across El Salvador’s entire public school network, reaching more than 1 million students in 5,000 schools. The two-year implementation timeline suggests an urgent push to transform traditional education delivery.
The partnership reflects President Bukele’s established pattern of embracing emerging technologies regardless of controversy. His previous initiatives have included making bitcoin legal tender and pioneering social media use among regional leaders. This latest venture into AI-powered education demonstrates continued willingness to experiment with unproven approaches.
However, the specific chatbot designated for educational use has alarmed experts who have studied its behavior. Grok has produced antisemitic content, promoted white supremacist conspiracy theories, and spread misinformation about democratic elections. These outputs directly contradict the factual accuracy and inclusive values that modern education systems strive to instill.
International examples of AI in education reveal both promise and peril. Some countries have successfully used chatbot technology to provide personalized tutoring and support teacher workloads. Other nations have encountered problems when students relied too heavily on AI or encountered inappropriate content through educational platforms.
This massive experiment will provide crucial data about artificial intelligence’s proper role in shaping young minds. Questions about content accuracy, age-appropriateness, and educational effectiveness remain largely unanswered. El Salvador’s experience over the coming years may fundamentally influence how education systems worldwide approach AI integration.