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While the Cuban regime claims to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic sectors, as Miguel Díaz-Canel has emphasized in multiple recent speeches, the daily reality for Cubans continues to be marked by technological inefficiency and a lack of concrete solutions to basic problems.
A clear example of this contradiction is the distribution of liquefied gas, whose regulated sale still relies on a manual record due to the lack of adequate computer systems.
The official journalist José Miguel Solís reported on his Facebook account the dramatic situation faced by the residents of Matanzas in the endless lines to obtain gas, a vital resource in the kitchens of most Cuban households.
According to their account, CUPET officials themselves acknowledged that they lack the technological resources necessary to automate the database that manages customer seniority in line. Paradoxically, in other provinces, this issue has been addressed with computer systems that ensure greater fairness in distribution.
"We have a science and technology park that even embraces artificial intelligence and big data. So, a bit of proactivity from those who see a lamentable phenomenon is reason enough to ask for help and resolve the dilemma," Solís wrote in his post, where he expressed disappointment over the lack of will to implement effective solutions.
The irony of the situation is evident. While Díaz-Canel has been promoting since 2019 the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Institute in collaboration with China and demands the use of this technology in sectors such as education, administration, and industrial production, citizens remain trapped in a distribution system based on food rationing and archaic paperwork.
The lack of computers and software at a gas station in Matanzas is merely a reflection of the regime's inability to implement digital tools in basic services.
Cubans have witnessed how the government has made promises about digitization and automation without any real improvements to show for it.
In January 2025, Díaz-Canel instructed the application of AI in various areas of the economy, while in December 2024, he had already emphasized the need to modernize processes with the help of this technology.
However, the lack of resources and the disconnection between official discourse and everyday reality have turned these promises into mere propaganda announcements.
Public discontent is growing over the contradiction between the government's ambitions and the precarious management of basic services.
For the people of Matanzas, and many other Cubans who face daily shortages and chaos in gas distribution, artificial intelligence remains an unfamiliar and distant concept, while the only technology they truly understand is enduring long hours in endless lines.
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