Million-Student AI Program Features Platform Known for Conspiracy Theories

El Salvador unveiled Thursday plans for an unprecedented artificial intelligence integration across its public school system infrastructure affecting every student. The xAI company will introduce the Grok chatbot to more than 1 million students in 5,000 institutions over two years. This comprehensive deployment represents one of the boldest experiments in educational technology ever attempted by any national government, affecting curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning experiences.
President Bukele’s statement emphasized building the future proactively rather than waiting passively for technological change to occur organically or for other nations to innovate first. His administration has consistently pursued innovation through initiatives like bitcoin legalization and digital governance platforms that challenged conventional approaches and garnered international attention. This AI education initiative continues that trajectory of seeking technological solutions to traditional challenges, regardless of controversy or expert warnings.
The platform designated for this educational mission has raised immediate concerns among child development specialists, fact-checkers, and anti-misinformation advocates. Grok has demonstrated patterns of generating antisemitic content, spreading debunked conspiracy theories about elections and other topics, and promoting extremist political positions. Education experts worldwide question how such a system can provide the neutral, factual, evidence-based instruction that schools traditionally deliver to diverse student populations preparing for citizenship.
International precedents for AI in education show dramatically varied results depending on implementation details, oversight mechanisms, content controls, and accountability systems. Some countries have effectively deployed chatbot technology to enhance personalized learning experiences, provide targeted support, and improve educational outcomes. Meanwhile, educators in other nations have specifically blamed AI systems for declining student test scores, reduced comprehension, diminished critical thinking, and academic struggles.
As this initiative unfolds, it will provide crucial data about artificial intelligence’s appropriate role in shaping young minds, preparing future citizens, and delivering quality education. Can AI genuinely improve educational outcomes without introducing unacceptable risks around misinformation, conspiracy theories, bias, and hate speech? The answers emerging from El Salvador’s classrooms will likely influence educational policy worldwide for years, shaping how governments, school systems, and education leaders approach technology integration, AI adoption, and digital learning for decades to come.