Ariadna Velázquez Rey, a fourth-year Computer Science student at the University of Havana, is striving to complete her thesis on artificial intelligence under challenging conditions marked by frequent power outages, unreliable internet connectivity, and transportation hurdles.
The narrative, emblematic of a nationwide issue, was shared on Facebook by the pro-government page Naturaleza Secreta, which detailed how Velázquez lost regular access to her faculty following the university's temporary closure due to a fuel crisis.
Although the official page frames her story as a testament to dedication, it inadvertently highlights the severe inadequacies in Cuba's university education system. Researching artificial intelligence becomes a race against time, hinging on the rare overlap of electricity and internet connectivity.
Residing in the Havana municipality of El Cotorro, Velázquez contends with significant challenges in reaching her university. These difficulties are a direct result of the regime's policies, which have left her in a precarious position.
Public transportation is unreliable, and private transport options are prohibitively expensive.
At home, the erratic power blackouts and poor-quality internet further constrain her ability to progress in her research.
Her project tackles a contemporary challenge in artificial intelligence: enhancing systems' ability to understand human requests more accurately, rather than merely replicating statistically probable information.
She is also interested in preserving cultural identity within digital spaces, amidst the dominance of data from developed nations.
When electricity and internet do align, she has only two to three hours to code, validate experiments, and draft findings—a timeframe she considers insufficient for a project of this scale.
To persevere, she relies on wireless networks available at the university whenever she can make the journey.
The situation highlights the obstacles faced by university students amid the energy crisis, where even cutting-edge technology research is hindered by the lack of fundamental resources like stable electricity and continuous internet access.
Challenges Faced by Cuban Students in AI Research
What are the primary challenges Velázquez faces in her AI research?
Velázquez contends with frequent power outages, unreliable internet, difficult transportation, and limited time to conduct her research due to these constraints.
How does the energy crisis affect university students in Cuba?
The energy crisis severely limits students' ability to access necessary resources for their studies, including stable electricity and internet, making it difficult to conduct research, especially in fields like AI.