Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest and a prominent advocate for technological innovation, will deliver the inaugural lecture for CUBO_ai in April 2025, marking the launch of El Salvador’s flagship artificial intelligence education initiative.
Developed by the National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC) in coordination with the government’s AI advisor Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele), the program aims to equip Salvadoran university students and professionals with advanced AI development skills, positioning the country as a regional hub for emerging technologies.
Wood’s involvement follows her strategic visit to El Salvador in May 2024, where she participated in discussions with President Nayib Bukele alongside economist Art Laffer, ARK Invest’s onchain researcher David Puell, and tech strategist Marc Seal.
Facilitated by Bitcoin advocates Max Keiser and ONBTC director Stacy Herbert, the meetings focused on strategies to leverage disruptive technologies for economic growth. During these talks, Wood emphasized:
“By leveraging Bitcoin and artificial intelligence, President Bukele could multiply El Salvador’s GDP by 10 during his next five-year term.”
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Building on Bitcoin’s Foundation
CUBO_ai expands the success of CUBO+ Bitcoin, a program launched in 2022 that has trained over 200 Salvadorans in Bitcoin Core and Lightning Network development under mentors like Adam Back and Peter Todd.
The new AI initiative will adopt a similar model, providing participants with access to experts from global firms such as NVIDIA and emphasizing hands-on projects in machine learning and robotics.
Education Reforms and ARK Educate’s Role
Parallel to CUBO_ai, Wood’s nonprofit ARK Educate is supporting the Ministry of Education’s efforts to integrate AI and robotics into public school curricula. Pilot trainings for teachers began in early 2025 across 20 schools in La Libertad, with plans to expand nationwide by 2026.
The curriculum introduces age-appropriate AI concepts from first grade through high school—a first for Central America—using materials developed in partnership with local educators.
Economic Context and Goals
With a GDP of $30 billion and an average monthly income of $450, El Salvador views technological education as critical to its development strategy. The ONBTC asserts that CUBO_ai will empower “the brightest young minds in the country” to “own and control the emerging waves of AI” aligning with President Bukele’s vision of transforming El Salvador into a “tech-driven growth hub” through Bitcoin adoption and AI integration.
A Model for the Region
The program’s hybrid approach—combining advanced training for developers with grassroots education reforms—reflects El Salvador’s ambition to lead Latin America in technological adoption. As the ONBTC stated: “This is no ordinary launch; it’s just the beginning of something truly extraordinary“
With Wood’s participation and global partnerships, CUBO_ai aims to position Salvadorans at the forefront of AI innovation while addressing local economic challenges.
