UWI academic urges action to keep up with AI revolution

Barbados and other countries in the Caribbean must embrace artificial intelligence (AI) or risk being left behind, a leading University of the West Indies (UWI) academic has warned.

Director of Academic Affairs at UWI’s Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, Dr Curtis Charles believes AI presents significant opportunities for the region in education, innovation, and disaster preparedness.

He acknowledged the widespread concern about job displacement due to AI but described it as an opportunity for universities to collaborate with governments in retraining citizens. 

“Yes, AI is going to take away jobs,” he said. “But it is an awesome opportunity for universities like ours to work with the governments that support us, to retrain the citizens so that they would not be unemployed.”

The UWI Five Islands Campus is actively addressing this challenge through its Lifelong Learning Centre, offering courses such as project management to equip individuals with skills for an AI-driven economy. 

Dr Charles told Barbados TODAY: “Our goal is to ensure that when these changes become a reality, our population is well-prepared to engage with new opportunities arising from AI.”

Drawing parallels with past technological revolutions, he said: “Every major innovation – from the steam engine to the Internet – has displaced jobs but also created new ones. We have a unique opportunity to anticipate and prepare for the future of work. UWI has an obligation to lead in this effort.”

The academic highlighted AI’s potential in healthcare, particularly in drug development and disease prevention. The Five Islands Campus has launched a programme in generative pharmacy, utilising AI and machine learning to create new drugs and improve healthcare outcomes. 

Dr Charles noted: “Before COVID-19, drug companies cited the high costs and lengthy timelines of drug development as reasons for expensive medications. Yet, during the pandemic, a vaccine was developed in just two years—a testament to the power of AI.”

Tourism, a vital Caribbean industry, could also benefit from AI, with Dr Charles envisioning a seamless tourist experience enhanced by facial recognition and personalised recommendations. He emphasised that “These advancements are not science fiction; they are happening now.”

AI’s potential extends to disaster management, climate change adaptation, and crime prevention. Dr Charles explained that AI can analyse vast amounts of data to identify patterns in weather changes and criminal activities, enhancing resilience and public safety.

But he stressed the urgent need for the Caribbean to develop its own AI expertise to avoid reliance on biased algorithms created elsewhere. He highlighted ongoing efforts at UWI campuses to train data scientists who can lead the region’s AI initiatives.

Education is central to Dr Charles’ vision for the future. He called for a reimagining of the Caribbean education system to better prepare students for an AI-driven world. 

“We cannot afford to have only 40 per cent of our young people pass Math at the CSEC level. We need to leverage AI to improve education from kindergarten to high school,” he asserted.

Acknowledging the digital divide exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Charles suggested all students should have access to digital tools and reliable internet. Drawing on his experiences at Microsoft and IBM, he stressed the importance of democratising access to technology and retraining to ensure no one is left behind in the technological revolution.

The UWI academic painted a picture of future collaboration between the Caribbean and global partners to harness AI’s full potential. 

“We have an incredible opportunity to use technology to our advantage. By investing in education, innovation, and collaboration, we can ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for the Caribbean,” he said. (RG)