#BTColumn – Artificial Intelligence in the Caribbean – Unchecked Influence and Cultural Impact

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

By Steven Williams

I must confess that my understanding of the far-reaching implications of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has sharply intensified over the past year. Intriguingly, as early as 2019, UNESCO initiated a funded AI project targeted at the Caribbean. However, only Jamaica seems to have publicly acted on this opportunity.

In a July 14, 2023, ‘State of the Nation’ debate, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon announced the creation of a Jamaican AI Task Force. Reporting to the Office of the Prime Minister, the Task Force will conduct comprehensive research to lay the groundwork for a National AI Policy. Its focus will encompass the analysis of current AI activities in Jamaica, including research, development, adoption rates, and challenges across sectors. Additionally, the group will explore potential growth areas and social impacts tied to AI adoption.

Given my extensive involvement in the technology sector in both Barbados and the broader Caribbean, AI development underscores several critical issues. Despite traditionally being on the periphery of global technology development, the arrival of Artificial Intelligence presents an unprecedented array of challenges and opportunities that could profoundly impact our societies.

Consider my own experience: I used a leading AI to generate images based on the single-word prompt, “beauty”. The results were overwhelmingly skewed, predominantly featuring young women with blonde hair and white skin. This isn’t just a simple technical glitch; it’s a glaring endorsement of western beauty biases. 

In the context of Caribbean societies, which may lack the technical capacity or influence to shape these algorithms, the ramifications could be severe. This kind of output doesn’t just perpetuate cultural imbalances; it fundamentally distorts our societal perspectives and acceptance of who we are as well as our values.

However, this issue isn’t limited to aesthetic standards. Let’s broaden the scope for argument’s sake and extend to economic and other social development issues. 

Cultural Representation and Diversity: 

One of the main challenges we face with existing AI algorithms is their tendency to reinforce prevailing stereotypes, primarily because they are developed and trained in western contexts. By joining the generative AI race, we in the Caribbean can add our unique cultural insights to global datasets. This is crucial for ensuring that AI technologies are as inclusive and diverse as possible, reflecting a broad range of human experiences.

Economic Diversification and Innovation: 

By investing in AI and content creation, we can open up new sectors and job opportunities here in the Caribbean, which contributes to our economic diversification. This is vital for mitigating the expected job displacement that AI might bring in various current fields of work. Such investment could act as a catalyst for innovation, pulling in both domestic and international capital.

The appeal for international capital lies in the unique Caribbean perspective we can bring to AI models. Our regional insights can offer a fresh and novel take, enriching existing AI algorithms. This diversity in data and perspective can make AI applications more robust, versatile, and globally relevant, making it an attractive opportunity for international investors looking for untapped potential and innovative solutions.

Societal Resilience and Problem-Solving: 

The Caribbean faces unique challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and social issues that are often not the focus of AI models developed in other parts of the world. By participating in AI development, the Caribbean can tailor solutions to address these regional challenges directly. For example, AI could help in predicting hurricanes more accurately or in managing natural resources more efficiently, thus increasing the region’s resilience against environmental and societal challenges.

The unfolding AI landscape presents both enormous potential and profound challenges that reach into various aspects of our daily lives and societal norms. While the Caribbean has often been sidelined in the broader narrative of technological advancements, the far-reaching influence of AI compels us to reconsider our role. We can no longer afford to be mere spectators in the global AI arena; the stakes are too high. We must strive to be influencers, shaping this transformative technology in ways that are congruent with the richness and diversity of our Caribbean culture. 

Our collective ethos and identity hang in the balance, and the burden of vigilance is one we all share – policymakers, technologists, and citizens alike. The time is ripe for us to not only embrace AI but to actively engage with its ethical and cultural ramifications, becoming stakeholders in shaping its impact on our societies.

Steven Williams is the executive director of Sunisle Technology Solutions and the principal consultant at Data Privacy and Management Advisory Services. He is a former IT advisor to the Government’s Law Review Commission, focusing on the draft Cybercrime bill. He holds an MBA from the University of Durham and is certified as a chief information security officer by the EC Council and as a data protection officer by the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB). Steven can be reached at: Mobile: 246-233-0090 Email: steven@dataprivacy.bb