El Salvador is betting on artificial intelligence to reform schools and hospitals under President Bukele’s leadership.

Since last year, the Salvadoran government has implemented a pilot program that brings Elon Musk’s xAI-developed chatbot, Grok, to 171 public schools. The system acts as a tutor for math, science, and reading, adapting to each student’s pace while a teacher oversees the lessons. Parents leaving Mercedes Quintero School in San Salvador report that children return home more enthusiastic, according to a British magazine article.

Artificial intelligence in the classroom

Early results are promising. World Bank data shows that volunteer students from pilot schools achieved performance in the 2022 PISA test comparable to students in Germany and Sweden. The government plans to expand the initiative to the entire national education system.

In addition to technology, the project involves external funding. The National Assembly approved $576 million in loans for education and the second phase of the healthcare program. xAI has not disclosed the financial terms of the agreement.

DoctorSV and digital healthcare

In healthcare, the partnership is with Google. The DoctorSV app, launched in November 2023, allows patients to connect with doctors in just a few taps. AI conducts the initial screening, and professionals prescribe medications and order tests, all at no cost to the user. To date, 1.5 million Salvadorans have registered, and 2 million electronic prescriptions have been issued.

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) funds the project and claims the country has built a universal healthcare system based on cutting-edge technology. There are still no independent evaluations to confirm the model’s effectiveness.

Concerns and challenges

Control of the programs is centralized in the presidential palace, limiting the Ministry of Education’s access to participating schools. Many teachers have been dismissed, and experts warn that improving education depends more on teacher training than on distributing devices.

The initiative also raises questions about total costs, the security of children’s and patients’ personal data, and the use of public policies to consolidate government power. Bukele, who enjoys high popularity after drastically reducing homicides from 38 to 1.3 per 100,000 inhabitants between 2019 and 2025, aims to demonstrate that artificial intelligence can be an effective tool for development, unlike the failed Bitcoin experiment in 2021.

Despite criticism, many both inside and outside El Salvador are hopeful for the initiative’s success, which could serve as a model for other developing countries, including Brazil.