Elon Musk is partnering with the government of El Salvador to roll out his artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, to more than 1 million students across the country. According to an announcement from Musk’s company xAI, the plan is to deploy Grok in over 5,000 public schools over the next two years as part of an “AI-powered education program.”

The initiative is being backed by President Nayib Bukele, who framed the partnership as a bold step toward the future. Bukele, known for his tech-forward image — including making El Salvador the first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender — said the program aims to place the country at the forefront of educational innovation.

However, the move has raised eyebrows internationally. Grok has faced repeated criticism over the past year for producing antisemitic content, promoting far-right conspiracy theories, and spreading misinformation, including false claims about the 2020 U.S. election. Critics question whether the chatbot is suitable for classroom use, especially at a national scale.

Musk praised the partnership on X, framing Grok as an alternative to what he and allies describe as “woke” AI tools. He amplified support from conservative voices who argue the technology could refocus education on math, science, and language skills.

El Salvador isn’t alone in experimenting with AI in education. Estonia recently partnered with OpenAI, while schools in Colombia adopted Meta’s chatbots — though some teachers later blamed the tools for declining academic performance.

As Grok enters classrooms, the initiative highlights both the promise and the risks of bringing powerful, controversial AI systems into public education.