拉丁美洲经济委员会-加强加勒比地区的人工智能准备（英）-2025.8_13页_1mb

Summary of Strengthening the Artificial Intelligence Readiness of the Caribbean

Core Content

This policy brief outlines the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) readiness in the Caribbean, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges associated with AI adoption. It emphasizes the need for a strategic, integrated and inclusive approach to AI governance and digital transformation, considering the region's unique socio-economic and environmental context.

Main Points

Potential Benefits and Risks of AI

• AI can support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but may also impede them and increase inequalities.
• Risks include disruption of job markets, loss of cultural diversity, new AI-enabled digital weapons, misinformation, surveillance, and threats to human rights and democracy.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development's principle of "leaving no one behind" underscores the importance of equitable AI governance.

AI Governance in the Caribbean

• Caribbean governments are actively engaging in global AI policy discussions, including the adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021) and co-sponsoring two 2024 UN General Assembly resolutions on AI.
• Regional initiatives like the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC2026) and the Santiago (2023) and Cartagena (2024) declarations aim to foster ethical and inclusive AI ecosystems.
• The Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Policy Roadmap (2021, updated 2024) supports the development of robust AI governance frameworks.
• While AI-specific legislation is still in early stages, some countries like Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have adopted AI-related laws.

Infrastructure and Digital Readiness

• AI readiness depends on general digital readiness, including 5G network coverage, data centres, and supercomputing capabilities.
• The Bahamas is the highest-ranked Caribbean country in the ITU ICT Development Index (IDI), but the region as a whole scores below the global median on six of nine indicators.
• Mobile data is less affordable in the Caribbean, which could hinder the adoption of 5G and AI technologies.
• The Caribbean Datacenter Association (2024) is a first step toward addressing data infrastructure needs.

Academia and Private Sector

• The Caribbean AI sector is small, with less than 2% of Latin American and Caribbean AI companies based in the region.
• Only five Caribbean start-ups are explicitly based on AI, though many technology firms in the region may use AI in their operations.
• Private sector interest in AI is growing, with a twelvefold increase in AI tool users in enterprises in five Caribbean countries from 2020 to 2024.
• Challenges include high electricity costs, gaps in digital infrastructure, and gender disparities in the tech sector.

Digital and AI Skills

• Digital skills in the Caribbean are relatively low, with only about 1 in 20 people able to write a computer program.
• Female students outperform male students in IT-related exams, but they are underrepresented in higher education IT courses.
• AI skills are not yet measured, and there is a need for developing standardized assessments and awareness campaigns.

Sustainability and Resilience

• The Caribbean is particularly vulnerable to the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution).
• Digital technologies and AI systems have environmental impacts, including energy and water consumption and e-waste generation.
• Circular economy strategies, formal e-waste recycling measures, and public education are recommended to mitigate these impacts.

Key Objectives

Objective 1 – International Collaboration in AI Policy and Regulation

• Participate in global, regional, and subregional AI policy dialogues to build a shared understanding of AI risks and benefits.
• Update or adopt policies and legislation on digital transformation, especially in cybersecurity and data protection.
• Foster collaboration among policymakers, legislators, and stakeholders to develop AI-specific laws tailored to Caribbean realities.
• Encourage support from intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

Objective 2 – Integrated Management of Digital Transformation

• Strengthen cross-departmental collaboration to implement integrated digital policies.
• Consider trade-offs between SDGs in digital transformation planning, with a focus on minimizing harm to marginalized groups and the environment.
• Integrate AI and digital transformation discussions with the triple planetary crisis, addressing economic, social, and environmental aspects.
• Plan digital infrastructure with water and energy availability, and climate change risks in mind.
• Build human capacity in digital and AI-related fields, especially in data privacy and cybersecurity.
• Promote digital inclusion through affordability and gender equity.
• Advocate for environmentally sustainable practices in digital technologies, including a circular digital economy.
• Establish e-waste management practices to reduce environmental and health impacts.

Conclusion

The Caribbean is at an early stage in AI readiness, with significant challenges in infrastructure, affordability, and skills. However, the region is actively engaging in global and regional AI governance dialogues and has made progress in building a foundation for future AI policy development. To ensure AI benefits all and does not exacerbate existing inequalities, a coordinated, inclusive, and sustainable approach is essential. This includes international collaboration, integrated digital strategies, and a focus on gender equity and environmental resilience.