A video posted by Cubadebate on Facebook promoting Cuba's push for artificial intelligence in the academic field sparked a wave of mockery and criticism from Cuban users, whose central question was repeated in dozens of comments: "With what electricity?"
The reel, narrated by journalist Isabel Díaz González for Cuba Visión Internacional, presents the University of Computer Sciences (UCI) as the "National Reference Center for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Academic Field in Cuba" and highlights the role of the Scientific and Technological Park of Havana as a link between the academic world and the technology business sector.
The video mentions the training of over 18,000 engineers in computer sciences, bioinformatics, and cybersecurity, and asserts that "by integrating artificial intelligence into the education of students, workers, and communities, the country will ensure advancement with technological independence."
The post garnered dozens of comments, most of them sarcastic and ironic in light of the gap between the official narrative and everyday reality.
“Wow, no electricity and practically no internet connection, what energy is that artificial intelligence working with, coal?” wrote a user.
Another was more direct: "Which electricity? And which water for the cooling system?"
The mockery also targeted the lack of basic infrastructure: "Artificial intelligence with social impact. They don't even have electricity, internet, or cloud services. You people are lunatics, but at a chronic level," pointed out another comment.
The energy context underlying these reactions is devastating. Yesterday, the Electric Union reported a mere 1,000 MW of availability against a demand of 2,570 MW, with the Felton thermoelectric plant out of the National Electric System on one of the worst days of the year. Additionally, 106 distributed generation plants remained offline due to a lack of fuel, totaling 1,203 MW unavailable.
The power outages in Cuba exceed 22 hours a day in Havana and reach up to two consecutive days in the interior of the country, a crisis that the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, warned about as early as December 2025, acknowledging that 2026 would be a "challenging" year without a complete solution to the electrical problem.
In addition to the lack of light, there is also the precarious access to the internet. One user summed it up accurately: "To develop AI, the first thing you need is good internet. It took me a week just to download a program, and I still haven't been able to download any models. Instead of selling so much nonsense, focus on improving the quality of the internet, which couldn't be worse."
Some comments went beyond irony. One user claimed that their thesis on an expert system for diagnosing genetic diseases, developed alongside the Genetics Center, "was thrown in the trash," and concluded: "The only applications they are interested in continuing to research are those related to citizen control."
Another internet user, who identified himself as an industrial engineer and a master's graduate from the University of Havana, sarcastically asked why the Cuban artificial intelligence did not predict the impact of the Trump administration's measures on hotel chains.
The Cuban regime has been announcing artificial intelligence projects for years: in November 2025, the Cuban Artificial Intelligence Consortium was created with 22 institutions, and in December 2024, the UCI joined the BRICS artificial intelligence network led by Sberbank. Each new announcement receives the same response from the Cuban people: “You are a meme. The people are drowning in sadness and look at what you are dedicating yourselves to. Cubadebate, oblivious to the reality lived on the streets.”
Filed under: