Building a Digital Society, from Vision to Implementation

Summary

This discussion focused on how small nations, particularly Jamaica, can lead in building digital societies through artificial intelligence implementation and strategic partnerships. The session was part of a WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) event, featuring panelists from Jamaica discussing their country’s digital transformation journey and AI adoption strategies.

Christopher Reckord opened by emphasizing that small island states have unique opportunities to leapfrog technological barriers rather than being disadvantaged by late adoption. He highlighted Jamaica’s progress in digital infrastructure, including the newly operational National Identification Registration Authority, cybersecurity frameworks, and educational technology initiatives reaching thousands of students with tablets and smart boards. Gary Patterson stressed the critical importance of strategic partnerships for small nations, comparing isolated countries to lone fishermen who need help to capitalize on opportunities and fight off competition. He outlined three key partnership areas: educational ecosystems, innovative financing mechanisms, and market access through diaspora networks.

Nadine Matthews-Blair presented compelling evidence of leapfrogging potential, drawing parallels to the Caribbean’s rapid mobile phone adoption that jumped from 11% landline penetration to over 100% mobile penetration. She demonstrated how generative AI is enabling faster, more cost-effective digital transformation compared to traditional methods, citing examples from National Commercial Bank Jamaica’s implementation of over 20 AI use cases. Chukwuemeka Cameron emphasized Jamaica’s constitutional commitment to informational privacy as a competitive advantage, noting that over 1,000 entities have registered for data protection compliance, creating opportunities for privacy-focused AI services globally.

Stacey Hines introduced the “SEA” framework for people-centric AI adoption: Storytelling for trust-building, Education for digital readiness, and Accountability for inclusive implementation. She argued that while technology enables rapid progress, sustainable transformation requires bringing citizens along through trust and education. The discussion concluded with examples of successful initiatives, including a recent hackathon that attracted 644 participants and led to plans for an AI academy aimed at training 50,000 digital workers over seven years, demonstrating Jamaica’s potential to export AI-skilled talent globally.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Digital Infrastructure and Leapfrogging Opportunities**: Jamaica and other small island developing states (SIDS) can leverage their position to leapfrog traditional development stages by adopting cutting-edge AI and digital technologies, learning from other countries’ mistakes and implementing more advanced solutions from the start.

– **Strategic Partnerships as Critical Success Factors**: Small nations face severe constraints in digital infrastructure, talent, and funding, making strategic partnerships essential across three key areas: educational ecosystems for knowledge transfer, innovative financing mechanisms, and market access through diaspora networks and international organizations.

– **People-Centric AI Adoption and Trust Building**: The primary barrier to successful AI implementation is not technology but people – with less than 20% of companies globally seeing returns on AI investments due to lack of citizen trust and readiness. Success requires storytelling for trust building, education for digital literacy, and accountability for inclusive implementation.

– **Data Protection and Privacy as Competitive Advantages**: Jamaica’s constitutional right to informational privacy and mandatory Data Protection Act compliance creates a foundation for responsible AI development that puts citizens first, potentially positioning the country as a leader in ethical AI implementation and creating new export opportunities in privacy services.

– **Practical Implementation and Economic Opportunities**: Real-world examples demonstrate success, from Jamaica’s national ID system and AI-powered government services to NCB’s digital transformation and the creation of 50,000 “digital workers” – showing how small nations can build AI-driven industries for both domestic use and global export.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to demonstrate how small island developing states, particularly Jamaica, can become leaders in AI implementation and digital transformation despite resource constraints, by leveraging strategic partnerships, prioritizing citizen-centric approaches, and building on existing strengths in entrepreneurship and adaptability.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a consistently optimistic and empowering tone throughout. Speakers were enthusiastic about possibilities while acknowledging real challenges, using concrete examples and success stories to inspire confidence. The tone became increasingly collaborative toward the end, with audience questions fostering discussion about regional cooperation and shared solutions among small island developing states. The early morning participation from Jamaica-based panelists added energy and demonstrated commitment to the cause.

Speakers

– **Christopher Reckord**: Session moderator, Deputy Chairman of NERO (National Identification Registration Authority), Chair of National AI Task Force, 42-43 years experience in ICT industry

– **Richard Brown**: Ambassador, Permanent Representative and Mission for Jamaica

– **Nadeen Matthews Blair**: Founder and CEO of Crescent Advisor Group, based in Kingston, Jamaica

– **Gary Patterson**: Jamaican living in Switzerland with global experience, worked in the U.S. and internationally

– **Chukwuemeka Cameron**: Digital privacy expert, privacy practitioner, attorney with constitutional law and technology experience, entrepreneur

– **Stacey Hines**: Author, speaker, podcaster, CEO and founder of Epic Transformation, based in Jamaica

– **Doreen Clark**: ITU gender champion from Jamaica

– **Nigel Kazmi**: Representative from CTU (Caribbean Telecommunications Union)

– **Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell**: CEO of the Office of the Regulator Samoa

**Additional speakers:**

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# Comprehensive Summary: Small Nations Leading Digital Societies Through AI Implementation

## Introduction and Context

This World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) session, titled “Building a Digital Society from Vision to Implementation, How Small Nations Can Lead with AI,” brought together a distinguished panel to explore how small nations can position themselves as leaders in AI implementation. The session was moderated by Christopher Reckord, Deputy Chairman of NERO (National Identification Registration Authority) and Chair of Jamaica’s National AI Task Force, who brought approximately 42-43 years of ICT industry experience to the conversation.

The panel featured diverse perspectives from government officials, private sector leaders, and international representatives, including Richard Brown (Ambassador and Permanent Representative for Jamaica), Nadeen Matthews Blair (Founder and CEO of Crescent Advisor Group), Gary Patterson (Jamaican with global experience living in Switzerland), Chukwuemeka Cameron (digital privacy expert and attorney), Stacey Hines (CEO of Epic Transformation), Doreen Clark (ITU gender champion), Nigel Kazmi (Caribbean Telecommunications Union representative), and Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell (CEO of the Office of the Regulator Samoa).

## The Leapfrogging Opportunity for Small Nations

### Reframing Size as Advantage

Christopher Reckord opened by challenging assumptions about small island developing states (SIDS), arguing that small nations can leapfrog technological barriers by learning from larger countries’ mistakes and implementing advanced solutions from the outset. He cited successful examples from Estonia (which has one-third of Jamaica’s population) and Malta, demonstrating that small nations can lead in digital transformation.

Reckord emphasized Jamaica’s entrepreneurial culture and history of solving complex problems with limited resources as foundational strengths, creating an ideal environment for rapid AI adoption.

### Historical Precedent for Technological Leapfrogging

Nadeen Matthews Blair provided compelling evidence of the Caribbean’s capacity for technological leapfrogging, noting that the region jumped from merely 11% landline penetration to over 100% mobile penetration. This historical precedent demonstrates the region’s ability to bypass traditional infrastructure stages.

Matthews Blair explained how generative AI technologies now enable faster implementation by connecting directly with existing systems through protocols like the Model Context Protocol, which she described as “the USB of AI app connection.” Unlike traditional AI implementations requiring perfect data, generative AI can work with imperfect data sources, including flat files, CSVs, and scanned documents.

## Strategic Partnerships as Critical Success Factors

### The Lone Fisherman Metaphor

Gary Patterson introduced a powerful conceptual framework through his “lone fisherman” metaphor, comparing small island nations to a solitary fisherman who catches a large fish but loses most of it to sharks because he lacks support to bring it in quickly and defend it effectively. This metaphor emphasized that small nations can lose opportunities despite having the right ideas, simply due to lack of collaborative support.

Patterson argued that no nation can succeed alone in the AI era, particularly small nations facing constraints in digital infrastructure, talent, and funding.

### Three Pillars of Strategic Partnership

Patterson outlined three critical areas where strategic partnerships become essential:

**Educational Ecosystems**: Partnerships with universities and research institutions that provide knowledge bases and support for startups through innovation hubs.

**Innovative Financing Mechanisms**: Creative funding solutions, including national AI funds and international financing partnerships. Ambassador Richard Brown noted the potential of ACP-EU Global Gateway mechanisms for cross-regional partnerships.

**Market Access and Diaspora Networks**: Leveraging diaspora networks and advisory councils to provide market access and knowledge transfer, serving as bridges between small nations and global markets.

## Jamaica’s Digital Infrastructure Foundation

### Government Initiatives and National Systems

Christopher Reckord detailed Jamaica’s comprehensive approach to digital infrastructure development. The Jamaica ICT Authority has built digital infrastructure for government services, with key achievements including the operational National Identification Registration Authority, which began distributing the first national ID cards in November.

The Universal Service Fund has been expanding internet access through free Wi-Fi initiatives in inner cities throughout Jamaica. However, Reckord acknowledged ongoing challenges in rural mountainous areas requiring satellite and cable solutions.

### Educational Technology Integration

Jamaica has distributed tablets to schools – 15,000 specifically for early childhood education, with total distribution of 20-30,000 tablets over 10 years through eLearning Jamaica Limited. These initiatives include smart boards and AI-assisted learning pilots, representing significant investment in preparing the next generation for an AI-driven economy.

The government has also developed practical AI applications, including a proof of life application for pensioners developed by the e-gov/ICT Authority, demonstrating immediate practical benefits of AI implementation.

## AI Implementation and Business Transformation

### Private Sector Success Stories

Nadeen Matthews Blair shared examples from National Commercial Bank Jamaica (NCB), which has successfully implemented over 20 AI use cases with capability to launch four or more new use cases annually. This rapid implementation contrasts with traditional digital transformation approaches that previously took years at the same institution.

The bank’s experience demonstrates how generative AI can accelerate digital transformation by connecting directly with existing systems without requiring extensive API development.

### Hackathon Success and Future Plans

A recent AI hackathon in Jamaica attracted 644 participants who created 79 projects, demonstrating significant local interest and capability. This success has led to plans for establishing an AI academy with the goal of training 50,000 digital workers over seven years, with 100 jobs planned for this year as an initial step.

The hackathon’s success indicates Jamaica possesses the human capital and enthusiasm necessary for large-scale AI adoption, particularly important given that Jamaica receives most of its foreign direct investment from BPO services.

## Data Protection and Privacy as Competitive Advantages

### Constitutional Framework for Privacy

Chukwuemeka Cameron, drawing on his entrepreneurial background and partnerships with business and law schools, argued that Jamaica’s constitutional commitment to informational privacy represents a competitive advantage. Jamaica’s constitution guarantees citizens’ right to informational privacy, creating a legal foundation for responsible AI implementation.

The Data Protection Act requires mandatory filing of processing records by all data controllers, with over 1,000 government and private sector entities having registered. Cameron noted that 144 countries have implemented GDPR-type legislation, positioning Jamaica within a global trend toward stronger privacy protections.

### Affordable Privacy Solutions

Cameron highlighted the development of affordable technology platforms that reduced data protection solution costs from $100,000 for setup to $1,000, making privacy compliance accessible to smaller organizations.

He emphasized the importance of data protection literacy, particularly for young people, arguing that teaching children about their rights and dignity should precede teaching them AI tools, establishing a people-first approach to technology adoption.

## People-Centric AI Adoption and Trust Building

### The Trust Crisis in AI Implementation

Stacey Hines, joining from Vancouver at 4 AM Kingston time, cited research from Web Summit where AI expert Gary Marcus presented findings showing that a significant percentage of companies with resources for AI transformation are not seeing returns on their investments. The primary barrier identified was the absence of trust and readiness among citizens, rather than technological limitations.

This insight suggested that small nations might be advantaged by their necessity to focus on human adoption—the very factor causing failures in better-funded implementations.

### The SEA Framework for Success

Hines introduced the “SEA” framework for successful people-centric AI adoption:

**Storytelling**: Building trust through local narratives that demystify AI and celebrate small wins publicly through media partnerships.

**Education**: Ensuring digital readiness through comprehensive education programs that prepare citizens to engage effectively with AI technologies.

**Accountability**: Implementing inclusive approaches that ensure AI benefits reach all citizens, with specific mechanisms for measuring inclusion and gathering citizen feedback.

## Regional Cooperation and Collective Action

### Beyond Regional Boundaries

Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell, representing Samoa, advocated for a global small island developing states coalition, challenging the panel to think beyond regional boundaries. She argued that small island developing states should work together as a unified group, noting that “if we want to go far, we have to go together. But if we go region by region, it’s going to be a very long trip.”

### Concrete Regional Initiatives

Nigel Kazmi from the Caribbean Telecommunications Union announced plans for an ITU visit to Jamaica during the week of September 29 for a Caribbean ministers’ meeting, indicating concrete steps toward regional coordination on AI initiatives.

## Challenges and Opportunities

### Infrastructure and Connectivity

Despite progress, connectivity challenges remain in rural mountainous areas. Budget constraints typical of small island states require creative approaches, though this necessity-driven innovation was framed as potentially leading to more efficient solutions.

### Human Capital Development

The limited number of AI professionals in Jamaica requires substantial training investment. However, the planned AI academy and hackathon success suggest that local interest and capability exist, requiring systematic development rather than wholesale importation of expertise.

### Youth Development Focus

Doreen Clark raised concerns about budget transparency and measurable support for youth-led AI initiatives, questioning whether current efforts are sufficient and properly targeted for youth development in AI and digital infrastructure.

## Key Takeaways and Future Directions

The discussion established several key points:

– Small nations like Jamaica can leverage their agility and ability to learn from others’ experiences to implement AI solutions more efficiently than larger nations

– Strategic partnerships are essential for overcoming constraints in infrastructure, talent, and funding

– People-centric approaches focusing on trust and inclusion may provide competitive advantages over technology-first approaches

– Regional cooperation among small island developing states can address common challenges through shared resources and expertise

## Concrete Next Steps

Several concrete action items emerged:

– ITU visit to Jamaica for Caribbean ministers’ meeting on AI initiatives

– Launch of AI academy in Jamaica targeting 50,000 digital workers over seven years

– Exploration of ACP-EU Global Gateway financing mechanisms for cross-regional partnerships

– Development of data protection literacy programs with the Ministry of Education

## Conclusion

This discussion demonstrated that small island developing states, particularly Jamaica, possess significant potential to become leaders in AI implementation. Rather than being constrained by traditional limitations, these nations can leverage their agility, necessity-driven innovation, and strategic partnerships to leapfrog traditional development stages.

Jamaica’s constitutional commitment to privacy, entrepreneurial culture, and demonstrated success in mobile adoption and recent AI initiatives position the country well for continued leadership in responsible AI development. The emphasis on people-centric approaches, combined with concrete action items and regional cooperation, provides a foundation for transformative progress in AI adoption among small island developing states.

Christopher Reckord: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for choosing to be in this session, session titled Building a Digital Society from Vision to Implementation, How Small Nations Can Lead with AI. This is a, I guess we call it country insights and the presentation from the team from Jamaica. First, let me just welcome Ambassador Dr. Richard Brown, Ambassador here, Permanent Representative and Mission for Jamaica. Thank you very much, Ambassador, for being here. And all the distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Thank you very much for attending. So the session today was, I guess, inspired by taking a look at a number of the WSIS lines of information with respect to action lines, WSIS action line one, promotion of ICTs for development, action line two, information communication infrastructure, and a range of others, building confidence and security, enabling environment, e-government, e-business, e-learning, and a range of others. So the talks that we will have today cover a number of these areas. And our team from Kingston, Jamaica, we actually have two members of our panel actually in Kingston. It’s 4 a.m. in Kingston, Jamaica right now. So thanks to Nadine Matthews-Blair, founder and CEO of Crescent Advisor Group, who’s in Jamaica, and of course Stacey Hines, who is an author, speaker, podcaster, CEO, founder of Epic Transformation, also in Jamaica. Thank you, ladies, for waking up extra, extra super early this morning to be with us. Thank you very much. We’re here on the ground. It’s 11 a.m. here, and let’s get going. So we have put together some slides, and, you know, first up, I will start off with the idea and concept around what we’re talking about, and then next up, Gary Patterson will talk about some partnerships. Then Nadine will come in, and then… and Chuck Cameron will speak about data privacy, he’s one of the leading privacy advocates in Jamaica, privacy practitioners, and Stacey Hines will make some comments, and then I have one more thing item at the end, so let’s jump right in. So one of the things that we talk about as it relates to small island states, and from I was in, been in the ICT industry for just approximately maybe 42, 43 years, what we always realized is that countries like Jamaica, sometimes we complain that, you know, we’re late to the game, and my view is always that we have an opportunity to leapfrog, so it’s not really being late to the game, but it’s an opportunity to jump ahead sometimes because you’ve seen what other people have done, and you have seen the mistakes, and you’re able to just leverage that and leapfrog, so that’s kind of one of the opportunities I think that small island states have. Now, somebody like Jamaica who has been relatively resilient and relatively fast on the tracks, we’re also kind of fast and nimble with respect to implementing new technologies and new systems. Again, why? Because we have the ability to see what other people are doing, fix the mistakes that were made in other jurisdictions, and then make sure that we adopt it in our country. The other thing, of course, is for those who may not have seen some of these reports, but we have a high level of entrepreneurship in the country, so there’s a lot of creativity and ingenuity with the people, and we will take various types of services and solutions and come up with some very creative ways of adopting these technologies, and our history of solving complex problems with limited resources gives us this ability. That’s why people like Jamaica can lead. We see from our examples out there that people like Countries like Estonia have been doing a fair amount of leadership in this area, with one-third of the population of Jamaica, 99% of their government services are online, they have a national ID system that we’ve been trying to do in Jamaica for almost 50 years, we’re finally there now, we handed out our first cards last November. We see countries like Malta, more AI startups per capita than a country like the US, fostering AI entrepreneurship and research. If they can do it, guess what, so can we, right Nadeen? So it’s very, very important that we believe in ourselves. So with respect to building a connected society and being a connected nation, we have an organization in Jamaica called the, well it used to be called E-Gov, it was responsible for all the government IT infrastructure. In April it was renamed to the Jamaica ICT Authority, and that organization is now responsible for building out a lot of the infrastructure that will bring the government into, let’s call it, not compliance, but raising the level and implementing the technologies, tools and systems required for more government services to be digital. We have a number of projects actually going on right now, as I mentioned, I mentioned a national identification system. I’m the Deputy Chairman of the organization called NERO, which is National Identification Registration Authority, is now fully operationalized. We have actually handed out our first set of cards, we had 300 persons in the initial trial and test that’s currently happening right now. We’re building facilities throughout Jamaica where folks can go in and apply for their card, it’s voluntary, and it’s free for all citizens and residents of the country. And of course, there is a data protection and data security regime in the country. We have cyber security response teams and an officer, the prime minister. We have national cybersecurity framework being implemented. And so all of these things are forming our core of the digital infrastructure and services necessary for Jamaica to be a connected society and to show some example and lead in this area. Similarly with the National Identification Project, one of the things that we, the e-gov now ICT authority organization developed is a proof of life for pensioners. Pensioners have to find a justice of the peace to get them to sign a document to say that they’re alive and then they take that in to get their pensions. Application was developed where you just simply take up the phone and point it on yourself, press a button at a link and in five minutes, the proof of life is now in the organization that shows that, hey, I’m alive and it’s me because it’s connected with your identification system. So a number of these things are happening and we are slowly moving there and slowly getting there. So other areas that have to be developed include infrastructure. For example, an organization by the name of Universal Service Fund, which I’m realizing that many other countries also have their versions of Universal Service Fund. One of the responsibilities in that organization is to ensure that there is access and inclusion with respect to bringing internet and digital connectivity to rural Jamaica. So they have been on a big drive in going out in highways and the byways and putting up free Wi-Fi access in the inner city throughout Jamaica. Of course, education, as a former teacher, I ensure and try my very best to make sure that Wherever is possible, we ensure that we include technology and ICT with respect to ensuring that the schools and the students and the teachers have access to a lot of this digital infrastructure and systems. An organization by the name of eLearning, Jamaica Limited, has implemented a number a number of projects delivering in excess of 15,000 tablets throughout, well the slide says 1,500 tablets, that was just the early childhood, we have done much more than that, maybe 20 to 30,000 throughout the last 10 years of the project to schools, high schools and also to teachers, recent projects included putting in smart boards in a number of schools throughout the country and this continues to evolve and continues to grow as the organization puts more digital infrastructure in the systems and of course, we’re also at AI for Good and of course there’s a tremendous amount of AI work happening in the Ministry of Education right now, we’ll probably talk a little bit more about that. The most recent two projects are assisted learning for some pilot schools and of course there’s a project where the teachers are getting help in marking their papers. So these are some very exciting things that are happening right now on the ground in Jamaica as we build digital capabilities throughout the country. So when you look at societies, we typically look at the basic digital public infrastructure areas which includes ID and building trust and of course creating some sort of a data exchange where we’re able to pull information from one ministry to another digitally without having to go through all these people that have to look in these very, very big books and those systems are being built right now, as I said, the organization mainly that’s handling all of that now is the ICT Authority of Jamaica. So of course there are challenges, and of course our challenges include the same things that the USF is trying to solve. There’s gaps. There’s always gaps in the rural areas. Jamaica is a mountainous country, and as a result of that, there are areas that there’s no digital, there’s no hub, there’s no connectivity, and one of the things that we have done is actually use community centers and try to pull cable, and sometimes in some cases satellite, to get connectivity in some of these areas. Another challenge, when we did our research through the National AI Task Force, which I chair, is realizing that we do have limited AI professionals in the country. So a tremendous amount of training and investment is being made in that area right now. And in any small island state, there’s always budget challenges, as we have to do as much with as little with respect to what the various ministries have working on. Our opportunities are huge, on the other hand. Building future-ready platforms from scratch, lots of people are excited. We do have a number of projects around that area, some will be shared later. Designing AI that reflects our values, we do have some exciting projects in music that are happening around digital and around AI, and of course educating youth to create, not just to consume AI. There’s a tremendous amount of influencers in the global market, and what we’re trying to encourage our youth is that you can also, instead of just sitting around and consuming and laughing and giggling, you can use the technology to create, not just create content, but create something for good for your community and for your family and for your school. So it’s exciting times for us, and we have a number of organizations that have been created around this. So as I said, there’s the National Artificial Intelligence Task Force, which was created, and the Office of the Prime Minister. Minister to do some research around pulling together recommendations to create a national AI policy. So all those things are on the way happening right now. The document, as I said, was handed recently to the government, and a number of ministries have pulled the recommendations from that document to actually start action and work right now. So that’s a quick high-level thought as to us doing things digitally and us moving to the next direction. I’ll now hand over to Mr. Gary Patterson, who will talk from his global experience, a Jamaican living here in Switzerland, having lived in the U.S. and having worked all over the world. Gary, over to you to talk to us about some of the partnerships.

Gary Patterson: Yes. Thanks. Thanks, Chris. So, as we said before, the small nations like Jamaica face these severe constraints around digital infrastructure, talent shortages, and having a low digital maturity baseline, which means access to data and data discipline to support these types of applications. So strategic partnerships represent a critical resource for these small countries like Jamaica to turn these constraints into competitive advantage and to actually address an external focus, not only inward, but also looking, how can we create an industry around technological advancement within the constraints that we have as a small nation? So for us, if you imagine a small island nation like a lone fisherman on the ocean, and he is struggling to find the next big catch, and all of a sudden he gets a huge, massive fish on the line, and he’s struggling to bring this fish in. He’s alone in the boat, and as he’s trying to bring the fish in, a shark attacks the fish and starts to eat away at the fish. But because he’s alone, he doesn’t have anyone who can help him to fight off the fish or bring the fish in, fight off the shark or bring the fish in quickly. And so as a result, he ends up with the head of the fish, so he’s caught the fish he wanted, but he’s lost the opportunity of having a large meal, having the ability to earn income. So you put that analogy, that allegory, within the context of a small nation, it makes it important for us to realize that there is significant market opportunity in AI, but we need these strategic partnerships, someone to help us overcome the constraints, to overcome the challenges, the competition, and have, importantly, market access so we can leverage success within the context of our constraints. So within that context, partnerships represent a strategic imperative for small nations. No nation, small nation or large nation can win alone in the AI era. So we have the opportunity to lead by leveraging educational ecosystems, and again, this is not only inward focus, but also how to create an industry around it, innovative financing and advisory networks. These will help with some key elements of how we can build out this AI advantage. So within the context of educational partnerships, you know, we can build an innovation ecosystem. I spend a lot of time here in Europe working with small startups, giving them access, especially to the U.S. market, and the thing that they are constantly worried about is how do we build that knowledge base? How do we get access to key technologies, to knowledge that wouldn’t exist as a small startup? And in Switzerland, for example, ETH, one of the largest universities in Europe, has developed a competitive advantage by targeting these small entrepreneurial startups and supporting innovation hubs, accelerator programs, all of these ecosystem enablers that help these startups, not only to launch, but have access to things like agriculture, healthcare, climate, knowledge that they would not have otherwise through these education partnerships. So the universities act not only as a sourcing mechanism, but also as a knowledge base and support mechanism to help build these startups, which we could apply the same concepts in the Caribbean. The next area would be financial partnerships. Again, a lot of the startups that I’ve worked with, the biggest challenge is, okay, we have great ideas, we have the knowledge, we have the technology, we don’t have the funding to realize the opportunities that we can foster. So coming up with, at the national level, coming up with, you know, national AI funds, funding mechanisms that are dedicated to building capability, not just for internal use, but for building out an industry. It’s important for these national funds to be sourced locally, and then provide the access to external funding through other programs, you know, that facilitate financial literacy so that when a startup has the opportunity, who is linked to an investor, for example, an external investor, they have the financial maturity to be able to prepare the business plan, to be able to sell to those investors in order to garner the funds. This is the most critical area for them. And then finally, in terms of partnerships, you now need market access. You need to leverage, you know, advisory networks, especially through diaspora networks that can provide not only knowledge transfer, but also access to these markets. I’m doing this for European countries to get to the U.S. Small nations need that capability as well to access this diaspora. They can also work through AI development organizations or national public-private advisory councils based on digital trade policies, leveraging organizations like Jampro or CARICOM and other types of organizations to facilitate trade. So the path forward with strategic partnerships, one identified who are those strategic partners that will assist in education, financial, or other means, build institutional capacity to build out the governance frameworks that allow these talents to effectively engage internationally, and then execute pilot initiatives. Once you’ve worked with a partner, identify substantive projects that you can execute with those partners in order to be able to start to build out that capability. That’s it.

Christopher Reckord: Fantastic. Thank you very much, Gary. So, Nadeen will give us an idea of her view on leapfrogging barriers with generative AI. Nadeen, go ahead.

Nadeen Matthews Blair: All right. Good day, everyone. Really excited to be joining early from Kingston and happy to jump in in terms of what I’ve seen on the ground in the region in terms of businesses leapfrogging with AI. Where I’ll start is providing the basis for why I am very optimistic about this being possible. For the Caribbean region, when mobile phones became a thing in the early 2000s and late 1990s, IDB documented that the average Caribbean member state only had 11% penetration of fixed line, landline. And many of us don’t even remember that anymore. Not sure how many of us in the audience actually still have a landline in our homes. I disconnected I think two years ago. But compared to the Caribbean, North American penetration was 60%. Today, in many of our countries, Jamaica specifically, penetration is over 100%. And I think the US is at something like 98%. So in a very short time, because of barriers coming down on the infrastructure side, and the accessibility really led to adoption and utilization and high penetration. And that was a massive leapfrog. And this is the same opportunity that we have today, leveraging AI to accelerate some of our digital transformation efforts. A study was done by I’m here to talk about the challenges that came out of my Digicel in 2024 and a number of challenges came out of that but I’ll highlight the ones specific to integration issues because a lot of what is constraining us is around the technology. Outdated technology, systems aren’t properly integrated and so this creates silos, lots of inefficiency, lots of costs to try and bring those up to modern times and to have these things work seamlessly and to create digital experiences that are not just automated but actually user friendly and delightful and secure and all those things that are relevant in today’s day and age. So digital transformation has been happening in the Caribbean. I led one of the largest efforts at National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited and traditional AI actually helped to power a lot of that. When we started in 2015, lots of manual processes as a standard, we were using Waterfall, Legacy, IT and at the time we were a top 20 institution. Then we started leveraging machine learning models in our digital application so we were able to get to fully pre-approved loans that customers could click accept and have the receipts deposited into their accounts instantly. Fraud Alerts, which is pretty standard, we were leveraging facial recognition for account opening, rule-based chatbots, so a lot of really nice things leveraging digital and traditional AI and we saw the results, you know, 7x growth in lending, our market share, would have increased. Customer onboarding went from days to minutes and we became a top five player. Digital transformation, but the challenge was this took a very long time and it was also very expensive. Moving forward to today, we have the opportunity with generative and agentic AI to leapfrog. Today, traditional digital transformation requires building lots of APIs and integrating lots of systems to create end-to-end experiences and if you are leveraging data, which we often are in these processes, there’s a lot of standardization of the data, cleaning the data, getting it into a lake, all of that, right? Years of implementation, but with generative and agentic AI, there are a couple of things that lower the barriers and make this a lot simpler and a couple of things I’ll highlight. Some of the agentic AI platforms can connect directly with existing applications, so it can connect directly with your telephony system, it can connect directly to your email system. Unlike traditional AI, where there’s a lot of massaging and wrangling of the data, in the generative and agentic AI space, non-standardization can still create value. Flat files can be read, you can upload CSVs, scanned up. Perfect data is not needed for some of the use cases, which is great. And then last but not least, with the introduction of model context protocol, the USB of AI app connection, where we now have a standard and set and traffic, where you can connect systems without API’s very quickly, then we really have a game changer in terms of how smaller nations, smaller companies can jump into agentic AI. We want to do that in a responsible way and a people first way. And so Stacey and Chukwuemeka Cameron will talk about that. But from a technological standpoint, we are at a place like where we were when mobile telephony was introduced. So in terms of NCB post, the initial phase of digital transformation, we’re powered now with agentic AI, we were able to launch lots of use cases, WhatsApp chatbots, AI driven chatbots that were handling customer calls, but also upselling and employee assistance tools. Typically in a call center, agents are looking at multiple systems to get the answers to provide to the customer. With agentic AI, all of that can be at their fingertips, your own internal GPTs, chat GPTs, if you will. And so things really started to accelerate over 20 AI use cases have been implemented. NCB is now in a position to launch over four new use cases a year, and experiencing significant efficiency and revenue generation improvements coming out of that new capability. So where I’ll close is that we’ve leapfrogged before in the region and the technology is here to facilitate another leap. Companies in the Caribbean are already doing it. And so it’s really time to take that leap. And so let’s do this. Let’s do this.

Christopher Reckord: Fantastic. Thank you very, very much, Nadeen. So we’ll have our digital privacy expert, Chukwuemeka Cameron Cameron, to share with us one of the reasons why the constitution of privacy gives us functions to lead. Gotta press the button very hard, okay?

Chukwuemeka Cameron: Thank you very much. And thank you everyone for coming.

Christopher Reckord: Turn on the mic, mic.

Chukwuemeka Cameron: You didn’t tell me that part. So Jamaica is in a special place. One of the things Jamaica has done that sets us apart to really leverage technology and in the truest sense is that we have taken the decision as a country to put the citizen first. And when I say put the citizen first, it’s a precondition in implementing all of these cutting edge technologies, AI, agentic AI, our constitutional charter requires or has declared that all Jamaican citizens have a right to informational privacy. So no entity, no government agency, no private sector entity can use our information without our authorization. Not only was that constitutional right declared in 2019, we have our Data Protection Act that reflects that. And unlike the GDPR and other countries with GDPR type legislation, our legislators required us to make it mandatory for all data controllers. to file their records of processing. While it is very burdensome, and as an entrepreneur I saw that’s an opportunity, but while it is burdensome to file your record of processing up front, it puts all the players on the same page and it imbues this right to informational privacy and making sure that we get it right from the beginning. So attending a lot of the sessions we have heard about humans in the loop, humans in the loop. It’s not a nice to do for us. It is what we have to do. So to ensure that this happens, we have established a supervisory authority to oversee the implementation of the Data Protection Act, and in a very short period of time, despite the challenges and the costs associated with understanding what data protection is and building out these controls, we have had over 1,000 government and private sector entities that have started the journey and registered with our office, and registration for us means you would have completed your record of processing. So this is not an organic growth where the government is pushing the transformation. So it indicated that consistent with the GDPR and other data protection type legislations, a great number of data controllers are required to have data protection officers. They do not exist locally or internationally, and so design privacy has some unique skill sets in terms of we are We have years of constitutional law experience, years of technology experience, and an entrepreneur by heart. So with that gap, we jumped in, we partnered with our leading business school, our leading law school, and prepared a curriculum that we’re able to roll up to quickly train up professionals in the space. And on top of that, given the unique skill sets we have, we were able to solve a problem that Europe and other leading organizations have been struggling with. Build technology that’s affordable for data controllers and governments to monitor and implement data protection. Leveraging AI and leveraging our expertise, we have been able to build a platform that has reduced the cost of these solutions from a hundred thousand U.S. just for setup to a thousand U.S. And so when you marry that, when you marry the people, the technology, and that foundation of putting the citizen first, we are in a unique position to do what Gary was speaking about, building out an industry. Jamaica currently gets most of its GDP or its foreign direct investments from BPO services. Given the ecosystem that we have built out, we now have an opportunity to meet that international demand because there are over 144 countries across the world that have implemented the GDPR type legislation and all required deep data protection officers or privacy manager type positions. We are of the view that we’re in a position to meet this demand. And if it is, we can’t meet this demand locally, we’re in a position to replicate this model. So every month, a new country is coming on with new GDPR type legislation. What if we were to go to Africa and can replicate the model there. In all developing countries, we are suggesting that this is a trial-proven methodology that can be replicated. And that is how we see data protection. Thank you very much for sharing and listening.

Christopher Reckord: Fantastic. Thank you very much, Chukwuemeka Cameron. And of course, as we talk about people, Stacey Hines has been on the ground making sure that she conducts epic transformation. So Stacey, I’m going to hand the mic over to you to share some of your thoughts on the topics we’ve been talking about.

Stacey Hines: Thank you, Chris. And thanks to my other panelists. And hi, good morning, everyone in the room. I’m really excited to be there with you in Geneva. Next year, I’ll be there in person. But this will do for now. So I won’t be sharing slides today, because I really want to pull you all into a visualization of where we are and the challenges that we face globally, as well as with small nations, and then talk you through just a very simple framework of how we can actually leapfrog based on where we are globally. So when you think about it, the true barrier for transformation, whether it is broadly digital or just specifically AI, the secret here is that it really is people. It’s not about the technology. I think you would have heard Nadine talk about the evolution of moving or evolving tech from mobile phone days. You would have heard Chris talk about all the different advancements that are taking place, even within government, the different tools and technologies that are being implemented. And now with AI over the last and the last couple of years, an acceleration of that implementation and this is happening in both public and private sector and we’re seeing that happen globally where you have the technocrats and of course the government’s very excited companies that are early adopters. They’re like, yes, let’s do this. But what is true is that the adoption is lagging already and that is not only being seen in small nations, but globally. Recently at Web Summit in Vancouver where I attended, Gary Marcus, who has spent a lot of time studying AI from a cognitive scientist perspective, talked about a study of over 7,000 companies that are able to afford all the transformation that you guys have been talking about small nations, you know, having financial access gaps too. And even though they’re able to afford it, they’re able to do all this implementation and participate in the trillions of dollars that are being spent on AI, less than 20% of them are actually seeing any kind of return on that investment. And a large part of that is because the trust and the readiness among citizens is just absent. And so my call to action for all of us here, and especially for those of us that are a part of the small island developing states, is for us to have people-centric AI adoption. Because if we want to go fast, which you would see a lot of companies are already doing because the technology allows us to do that, we will end up doing that alone. But if we want to go far, we have to bring our people along. So what can it look like when our people are brought along? If you imagine the future, maybe, you know, a year or five from now, based on how quickly AI is going, If you can imagine, and I want you to really picture this for a moment, being in that WSIS space, you can actually sense and see where every citizen, regardless of age, regardless of background, they actually feel confident using AI. Imagine communities, you have these digital hubs inside of communities, and the fisherman that had his fish, his large catch half eaten by a shark, they’re able to actually predict what’s happening in the areas where they want to fish. Teachers are able to personalize learning and aren’t afraid of using the technology to support them in that personalization of learning for every student. And local entrepreneurs have local and global access to financing, to funding, to build solutions to not only serve and support economic development, but also to continue to provide jobs for citizens. Trust in technology is high and utilization is high. Not where you have a lot of implementation, but uses for entertainment or consumption, and not really for the advancement of society. And if you can imagine yourself participating in this thriving ecosystem where tech is actually being used alongside us and not sitting on a shelf gathering dust, as we have seen in the past, innovation now becomes homegrown and small nations aren’t just keeping up, we’re setting the pace. And a way that we can do that is actually very available to us right now, and leverages some of the techniques and technologies that Nadine may have referenced. And I wanted to frame this around three secrets that I think really allow us to step fully and holistically into enabling and empowering our people to utilize AI as a way to empower themselves. And therefore, to leverage. all that we are putting in the space from a tech perspective so that they can live more fulfilling and holistic lives. So I want to talk you through these secrets. So the first of the secrets is storytelling. So that’s your S. We have to start to use storytelling for trust building. I was recently at an event, speaking at another AI event, and there were over 200 small, medium sized business owners in the room. And one of the questions that was tabled with me was, you know, how can we change the narrative that’s currently in the public space in the news that you can’t trust AI? So that’s what they’re hearing. That’s what they’re seeing. And therefore, we have to shift that narrative. We have to use local stories to demystify AI and show its human impact. So when we talk about the metrics that Nadeen would have shared for NCB, we have to take that now to the human, to the citizen level. Talk to them about their ability to actually get through at the bank in minutes, rather than in several visits over several months. Talk to them about the farmer being able to use AI to improve crops and pointing to stories, not necessarily just in their own local state, but across the region. We have to celebrate the small wins publicly. And I believe that this has to be a public private sector partnership, where that’s being shared widely across media networks versus the sad stories that they may hear on a consistent basis about being cautious on AI and worrying about losing their jobs because AI is going to take over. So the first secret is around storytelling. That’s your S. The second secret is around education, but this has to be education for readiness, really launching nationwide digital literacy programs and leveraging some of that partnership that Gary would have talked through so that we can actually have hands-on experimentation. Get the people involved in actually developing solutions and creating curiosity as we execute and move forward together. And then the last secret is around accountability. We have to hold our public sector and our private sector, the big businesses, we have to hold them accountable for inclusivity, for that inclusion. Establish panels that will allow the citizens to actually give feedback and for that feedback to be taken at the parliamentary level, for that feedback to be talked about at the private sector level, in the boardrooms, and that that information goes back into that storytelling loop so that we are able to measure and report on inclusion and to track who is benefiting because we have to dismantle the story that we don’t benefit as citizens in order for that production to gain traction. So my closing thought is that when nations can lead with seeing, with S.E.A., storytelling, education, and accountability, they’re not going to just adopt A.I. They’re now going to start to create movements to accelerate the adoption for themselves and for other citizens across the nation. Thank you.

Christopher Reckord: Thank you very much. Storytelling, education, accountability. Love the secrets. Okay. So, folks, we are at our final furlong. Just a quick, I don’t know if there are any questions in the room at all from anyone. You have a question? Okay. Just press the mic right there.

Doreen Clark: Yes. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Can everybody hear me? Yes. Perfect. Thank you, and thank you, too, to the panelists. Great discussion. I’m an ITU gender champion from Jamaica. My name is Doreen Clark, and my question is, the 2025-26 estimate shows a substantial allocation to the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, but youth is on track separate. Could the panel clarify what portion of the budget is earmarked specifically for youth development initiatives, particularly in AI, digital infrastructure, and rural programming? And the follow-up question is, is there a plan to introduce a distinct youth development line item in future budgets to improve transparency and ensure that youth-led AI initiatives receive measurable support and accountability?

Chukwuemeka Cameron: So as an attorney, I often reframe questions to put it in a manner that I can confidently answer. So from a private sector position, we see it, before we start speaking about developing youth with AI, we are creating, we are now bringing them into this information world, this information society. The first thing that we see needs to happen is to speak about not only digital literacy, don’t put them on the internet and teach them how to use the tools. Let them understand that they exist as humans, that they need to maintain their dignity, they need to maintain their autonomy. So through what I hope would be a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Education, we hope to launch a data protection literacy program, teaching the citizen about the rights they, children, about the rights they have and the dangers that exist and the opportunities. So that’s from the private sector perspective. Chris, you are referring to the public sector, right?

Christopher Reckord: So there are a number of programs happening now, specific numbers I can’t give you at this time. So, and I’ve probably given you a chance to email us some questions before when I’ve reached out to the Ministry and gotten the answer. So sorry, I’m not able to give you specifics. Any other questions in the room? Before we wrap up, yes, go ahead.

Nigel Kazmi: Thank you. Nigel Kazmi from the CTU. Not really a question, just to let you know that the CTU would be coming to Jamaica at the end of September. Yes. And if there is anything that you might want to share with the Caribbean ministers in this vein, we’d be happy to hear.

Christopher Reckord: Fantastic. Thank you very much for that opening on that offer. Next question.

Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell: Thank you very much for the opportunity. My name is Nisa Purcell, and I’m the CEO of the Office of the Regulator Samoa. It’s a pleasure to be here, although I noticed that the session was specifically for the Caribbean countries, but I thought I’d come and attend if I can learn something. And I just want to say that it’s common among all the small island developing states that the main issues are funding for AI, and then education or capacity building for everybody. As we all know, AI is not new. It’s been there for a long time, but it’s only recently that it has moved forward to help us. But on the other hand, people are already using it, especially children. So while it’s great, it’s fast and furious that governments must address this issue now. And I was hoping to listen and hear someone saying, okay, so we have this coalition here. All small island developing states can apply for either experts to help out or funding or something like that. But it looks to me like we are discussing. None of this is being discussed. So hopefully the CTU will be able to help out. But all small island sets, we need to stick together, take our case together. Because if we want to go far, we have to go together. But if we go region by region, it’s going to be a very long trip. Thank you very much.

Christopher Reckord: Thank you. Thank you. Excellent for that question. Thank you very much. So interesting you mentioned that. you know the coalition or well we’re not coming with any solid answers for you as yet. So maybe it’s an opportunity to start that process here. I guess it’s just why I have my one more thing and of course I put this in yesterday before you even asked that question and so now that I’m going to answer the question but just a quick little high-level case study to close. We had an investor come to Jamaica earlier this year looking to hire people and what he wanted to hire staff for was to build out not BPO but more a high-end more KPO knowledge process outsourcing and the whole idea and concept was to just hire 20 people and try to figure out how to do it. Long story short they hosted a hackathon to get support. It took a long roundabout process and eventually a number of us decided to jump in to help. Within three weeks of pulling together whatever resources we could and signing a contract with hotels and all of that we had 644 people registered for the hackathon and out of that 640 people that registered for the hackathon they had 101 teams. It’s a 24 hour hackathon. What the hackathon is it’s a software development competition. We wanted to see the capabilities and 79 projects were created and of course you know the top three were awarded but out of that what has happened is that the organization has said you know what we’re going to come to Jamaica and we’re going to build a AI academy in Jamaica and in doing so they want to create this AI academy and they want to have this idea and concept using digital workers. What’s a digital worker? Device ready, network enabled, AI skilled. So what they’re doing is training up these folks right now and in training up these folks they want to now offer these services globally and the whole idea is to create 50,000 trained digital workers over the course of the next seven years, and of course test them, and then now instead of targeting businesses in Jamaica, targeting businesses globally to offer these services. So the hope is that the first 100 jobs will happen this year, and yes, we’re very interested in having a discussion at that ITU C2 session. So folks, thank you very, very, very much, and is there any last final point? Yes, so Ambassador, thank you for being here, and I would love for you to close the show for us with any final comments.

Richard Brown: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Reckord. Really appreciate the presentation this afternoon, this morning, really enriching and elucidating presentations. I thought I would have just come in on the point of the whole matter of financing and partnerships, which I heard mentioned quite a few times in the presentations. Just to point out that in the context of the ACPEU global gateway agenda and strategy, there is a mechanism in place to assist African Caribbean and Pacific states. I was hoping the lady from the Pacific would have remained, because there is a possibility of cross-regional partnerships to support investment in digital agenda, and I think it’s something that we have to look at keenly as government and as private sector in terms of how we can leverage those financing mechanisms to create partnerships across regions to advance AI and emerging technology adaptation and implementation. I thought I’d just close with that.

Christopher Reckord: Fantastic, Ambassador. Thank you very much. And for the gentlemen from the CTU, in my slides that were created last month, you noticed what I had there. Join us in Kingston at a CTU event. And I didn’t have the date, so you can tell me the date, so I’ll add it to the slide. Week of September 29. I’ll put that in there and I’ll tell my team to update it back in Kingston. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been a fantastic discussion. I thank you all for being here and I thanks for all the questions. Thanks for all the engagement. Thank you. Thanks everyone and have a great day. Thanks everyone. Stacey and Nadeen, thank you very, very much for waking up so early. I know it’s only four, what time is it in Jamaica now? 4.40, 4.50? It’s 5 a.m. 5 a.m. Guys, thank you very, very much. Thank you. Thanks, Chris. We’ll synchronize and we’ll get back next week. Gary, Chukwuemeka Cameron, thanks for that. Bye-bye. Thanks on behalf.

Agreement points

Small nations can leverage their agility and ability to learn from others’ mistakes to leapfrog in technology adoption

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Nadeen Matthews Blair

Arguments

Small nations can leapfrog technology adoption by learning from others’ mistakes and implementing solutions more quickly

Caribbean region previously leapfrogged from 11% landline penetration to over 100% mobile penetration, showing potential for similar AI adoption

Summary

Both speakers agree that small nations like Jamaica have a unique advantage in technology adoption because they can observe what larger nations have done, learn from their mistakes, and implement solutions more efficiently. Matthews Blair provides concrete evidence of this with the mobile phone adoption example, while Reckord emphasizes the general principle of leapfrogging.

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Strategic partnerships are essential for small nations to overcome resource constraints and access global markets

Speakers

– Gary Patterson
– Richard Brown

Arguments

Small nations need strategic partnerships to overcome constraints in infrastructure, talent, and funding

ACP-EU global gateway mechanisms offer financing opportunities for cross-regional partnerships

Summary

Both speakers emphasize that small nations cannot succeed alone and need strategic partnerships to overcome their inherent limitations. Patterson provides the theoretical framework and practical examples, while Ambassador Brown offers specific mechanisms through ACP-EU partnerships.

Topics

Development | Economic

People-centric approach is crucial for successful AI implementation

Speakers

– Stacey Hines
– Chukwuemeka Cameron

Arguments

Less than 20% of companies globally see ROI from AI investments due to lack of trust and readiness among citizens

Jamaica’s constitution guarantees citizens’ right to informational privacy as a precondition for AI implementation

Summary

Both speakers agree that putting people first is essential for AI success. Hines focuses on the trust and readiness aspect, while Cameron emphasizes the legal and constitutional framework that protects citizens’ rights as a foundation for AI implementation.

Topics

Human rights | Sociocultural

Small island developing states face common challenges and should work together

Speakers

– Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell
– Christopher Reckord
– Gary Patterson

Arguments

Small island developing states should work together rather than region by region for faster progress

Budget constraints typical of small island states require doing more with limited resources

Small nations need strategic partnerships to overcome constraints in infrastructure, talent, and funding

Summary

All speakers acknowledge that small island developing states face similar challenges including funding constraints, infrastructure limitations, and capacity building needs. They agree that collaboration and partnerships are necessary to address these common issues effectively.

Topics

Development | Economic

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers demonstrate through concrete examples that Jamaica has significant AI implementation capability and can rapidly scale AI initiatives. They show evidence of successful AI adoption in both public and private sectors.

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Nadeen Matthews Blair

Arguments

AI hackathon attracted 644 participants creating 79 projects, leading to plans for AI academy and 50,000 digital workers

Over 20 AI use cases implemented at NCB with ability to launch 4+ new use cases annually

Topics

Economic | Development

Both speakers emphasize the importance of building local capacity and expertise that can serve both domestic needs and create export opportunities. They focus on developing solutions that are both locally relevant and globally competitive.

Speakers

– Gary Patterson
– Chukwuemeka Cameron

Arguments

Educational partnerships with universities can provide knowledge base and support for startups through innovation hubs

Built affordable technology platform reducing data protection solution costs from $100,000 to $1,000

Topics

Development | Economic

Both speakers emphasize the importance of inclusive technology adoption that reaches all segments of society, particularly in education and ensuring that citizens benefit from AI implementation.

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Stacey Hines

Arguments

Over 15,000 tablets distributed to schools with smart boards and AI-assisted learning pilots

Need to establish citizen feedback panels and measure inclusion to ensure benefits reach all citizens

Topics

Sociocultural | Development

Unexpected consensus

Data protection as a competitive advantage rather than a burden

Speakers

– Chukwuemeka Cameron
– Christopher Reckord

Arguments

Jamaica’s constitution guarantees citizens’ right to informational privacy as a precondition for AI implementation

National identification system is now operational with first cards distributed

Explanation

It’s unexpected that speakers would frame strict data protection requirements as an advantage for AI development rather than a constraint. Cameron argues that Jamaica’s constitutional privacy rights and mandatory data protection compliance actually position the country better for responsible AI implementation and create business opportunities.

Topics

Human rights | Legal and regulatory

Small nations as potential AI leaders rather than followers

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Nadeen Matthews Blair
– Gary Patterson

Arguments

Countries like Estonia and Malta demonstrate that small nations can lead in digital transformation and AI innovation

Generative and agentic AI can connect directly with existing systems without extensive API development

Diaspora networks and advisory councils can provide market access and knowledge transfer

Explanation

The consensus that small nations can actually lead in AI development rather than just catch up is unexpected. All speakers argue that small nations have unique advantages that can make them pioneers rather than followers in AI adoption and implementation.

Topics

Development | Economic

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrate strong consensus on several key areas: the potential for small nations to leapfrog in AI adoption, the critical importance of strategic partnerships, the need for people-centric approaches, and the value of regional cooperation among small island developing states.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with complementary rather than conflicting viewpoints. The speakers build upon each other’s arguments and provide different perspectives that support the same overall vision of small nations leading in AI development through strategic partnerships, responsible implementation, and inclusive approaches. This strong consensus suggests a well-coordinated and realistic approach to AI development in small island states.

Different viewpoints

Approach to addressing youth development and AI education funding

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Chukwuemeka Cameron
– Doreen Clark

Arguments

Need for youth development funding specifically for AI and digital infrastructure initiatives

Jamaica ICT Authority is building digital infrastructure for government services and national connectivity

Over 15,000 tablets distributed to schools with smart boards and AI-assisted learning pilots

Summary

Clark specifically questioned budget transparency and measurable support for youth-led AI initiatives, while Reckord focused on existing educational technology distribution and Cameron emphasized data protection literacy as the priority for youth education. They disagreed on whether current efforts are sufficient and properly targeted.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Unexpected differences

Priority focus for youth AI education

Speakers

– Chukwuemeka Cameron
– Christopher Reckord

Arguments

Built affordable technology platform reducing data protection solution costs from $100,000 to $1,000

Over 15,000 tablets distributed to schools with smart boards and AI-assisted learning pilots

Explanation

While both speakers supported youth education in AI, Cameron unexpectedly prioritized data protection literacy over technical AI skills, arguing that teaching children about their rights and dignity should come before teaching them AI tools. This contrasted with Reckord’s focus on distributing technology and implementing AI-assisted learning systems.

Topics

Human rights | Sociocultural

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed remarkably high consensus among speakers on the potential for small nations to lead in AI development, with disagreements primarily focused on implementation approaches rather than fundamental goals. Main areas of disagreement centered on funding mechanisms, educational priorities, and collaboration scope.

Disagreement level

Low to moderate disagreement level. The speakers largely agreed on the opportunities and challenges facing small island states in AI development, but differed on specific strategies and priorities. These disagreements are constructive and complementary rather than conflicting, suggesting different aspects of a comprehensive approach rather than incompatible visions. The implications are positive, as the varied perspectives could inform a more holistic strategy for AI development in small nations.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers demonstrate through concrete examples that Jamaica has significant AI implementation capability and can rapidly scale AI initiatives. They show evidence of successful AI adoption in both public and private sectors.

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Nadeen Matthews Blair

Arguments

AI hackathon attracted 644 participants creating 79 projects, leading to plans for AI academy and 50,000 digital workers

Over 20 AI use cases implemented at NCB with ability to launch 4+ new use cases annually

Topics

Economic | Development

Both speakers emphasize the importance of building local capacity and expertise that can serve both domestic needs and create export opportunities. They focus on developing solutions that are both locally relevant and globally competitive.

Speakers

– Gary Patterson
– Chukwuemeka Cameron

Arguments

Educational partnerships with universities can provide knowledge base and support for startups through innovation hubs

Built affordable technology platform reducing data protection solution costs from $100,000 to $1,000

Topics

Development | Economic

Both speakers emphasize the importance of inclusive technology adoption that reaches all segments of society, particularly in education and ensuring that citizens benefit from AI implementation.

Speakers

– Christopher Reckord
– Stacey Hines

Arguments

Over 15,000 tablets distributed to schools with smart boards and AI-assisted learning pilots

Need to establish citizen feedback panels and measure inclusion to ensure benefits reach all citizens

Topics

Sociocultural | Development

Key takeaways

Small nations like Jamaica can leapfrog in AI adoption by learning from others’ mistakes and implementing solutions more quickly, similar to how the Caribbean jumped from 11% landline penetration to over 100% mobile penetration

Strategic partnerships are essential for small nations to overcome constraints in infrastructure, talent, and funding – no nation can win alone in the AI era

Jamaica has established strong digital infrastructure foundations including a national ID system, data protection framework, and AI task force recommendations

People-centric AI adoption is critical for success – less than 20% of companies globally see ROI from AI investments due to lack of citizen trust and readiness

The three secrets for successful AI adoption are: storytelling for trust building, education for readiness, and accountability for inclusivity

Jamaica’s constitutional right to informational privacy and mandatory data protection compliance creates a competitive advantage for responsible AI implementation

Generative and agentic AI technologies now allow faster implementation by connecting directly with existing systems without extensive API development

Small island developing states share common challenges in AI funding and capacity building, suggesting opportunities for collective action

Resolutions and action items

ITU will visit Jamaica at the end of September for Caribbean ministers meeting to discuss AI initiatives

Plans to launch AI academy in Jamaica with goal of creating 50,000 trained digital workers over seven years

Private sector partnership proposed to launch data protection literacy program with Ministry of Education

Opportunity identified to leverage ACP-EU global gateway financing mechanisms for cross-regional partnerships

Suggestion to explore coalition building among small island developing states for collective AI advancement

Unresolved issues

Specific budget allocation details for youth development initiatives in AI and digital infrastructure were not provided

No concrete mechanism established for small island developing states coalition or resource sharing

Funding gaps for AI initiatives and capacity building remain unaddressed with specific solutions

Digital connectivity challenges in rural mountainous areas still require ongoing infrastructure solutions

Limited AI professionals in Jamaica need continued training investment without specific implementation timeline

Suggested compromises

Public-private partnerships recommended for data protection literacy programs and AI education initiatives

Cross-regional partnerships between African, Caribbean and Pacific states suggested to leverage financing mechanisms

Gradual approach to AI implementation starting with pilot projects before scaling up

Balancing rapid AI adoption with people-centric approach to ensure citizen trust and inclusion

So for us, if you imagine a small island nation like a lone fisherman on the ocean, and he is struggling to find the next big catch, and all of a sudden he gets a huge, massive fish on the line, and he’s struggling to bring this fish in. He’s alone in the boat, and as he’s trying to bring the fish in, a shark attacks the fish and starts to eat away at the fish. But because he’s alone, he doesn’t have anyone who can help him to fight off the fish or bring the fish in, fight off the shark or bring the fish in quickly. And so as a result, he ends up with the head of the fish, so he’s caught the fish he wanted, but he’s lost the opportunity of having a large meal, having the ability to earn income.

Speaker

Gary Patterson

Reason

This powerful metaphor reframes the entire discussion from technical implementation to strategic survival. It transforms abstract concepts of ‘partnerships’ and ‘constraints’ into a visceral understanding of how small nations can lose opportunities despite having the right ideas, simply due to lack of collaborative support.

Impact

This analogy fundamentally shifted the conversation from inward-looking digital transformation to outward-looking strategic partnerships. It provided a conceptual framework that subsequent speakers referenced and built upon, establishing partnerships as not just helpful but existentially necessary for small nations in the AI era.

Unlike traditional AI, where there’s a lot of massaging and wrangling of the data, in the generative and agentic AI space, non-standardization can still create value. Flat files can be read, you can upload CSVs, scanned up. Perfect data is not needed for some of the use cases, which is great.

Speaker

Nadeen Matthews Blair

Reason

This insight challenges the conventional wisdom that digital transformation requires perfect, standardized data infrastructure. It suggests that generative AI’s tolerance for imperfect data could be a game-changer for developing nations that lack pristine data systems.

Impact

This comment provided concrete hope and practical pathway forward, moving the discussion from theoretical possibilities to actionable opportunities. It directly addressed one of the major barriers (data quality) that typically prevents small nations from competing in the AI space.

One of the things Jamaica has done that sets us apart to really leverage technology and in the truest sense is that we have taken the decision as a country to put the citizen first… our constitutional charter requires or has declared that all Jamaican citizens have a right to informational privacy.

Speaker

Chukwuemeka Cameron

Reason

This reframes privacy and data protection from regulatory burden to competitive advantage. It suggests that strong privacy frameworks, rather than hindering AI development, could actually position small nations as leaders in responsible AI implementation.

Impact

This comment introduced a paradigm shift in how the panel viewed regulatory frameworks – not as obstacles but as differentiators. It connected ethical AI implementation to economic opportunity, suggesting that ‘doing right by citizens’ could become an exportable competitive advantage.

Recently at Web Summit in Vancouver… Gary Marcus… talked about a study of over 7,000 companies that are able to afford all the transformation… less than 20% of them are actually seeing any kind of return on that investment. And a large part of that is because the trust and readiness among citizens is just absent.

Speaker

Stacey Hines

Reason

This statistic is profound because it reveals that even well-funded organizations in developed countries are failing at AI implementation due to human factors. It suggests that small nations’ focus on people-first approaches might actually be more strategic than resource-rich nations’ technology-first approaches.

Impact

This insight completely reframed the discussion’s underlying assumption. Instead of small nations being disadvantaged by resource constraints, Hines suggested they might be advantaged by necessity to focus on human adoption – the very factor causing failures in better-funded implementations.

But all small island sets, we need to stick together, take our case together. Because if we want to go far, we have to go together. But if we go region by region, it’s going to be a very long trip.

Speaker

Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell

Reason

This comment from a Samoan regulator expanded the conversation beyond Caribbean-specific solutions to a global small island developing states (SIDS) coalition. It challenged the panel to think beyond regional boundaries and consider how similar challenges across different ocean regions could be addressed collectively.

Impact

This intervention broadened the scope of the entire discussion and introduced urgency around collective action. It moved the conversation from ‘how Jamaica can lead’ to ‘how small island states globally can collaborate,’ fundamentally expanding the potential scale and impact of the solutions being discussed.

Overall assessment

These key comments transformed what could have been a typical ‘digital transformation success story’ presentation into a sophisticated strategic discussion about competitive advantage, collaborative survival, and paradigm shifts in AI implementation. Gary’s fisherman metaphor established the existential stakes, Nadeen’s technical insights provided practical hope, Cameron’s privacy framework offered a differentiation strategy, Stacey’s failure statistics challenged fundamental assumptions about resource advantages, and Purcell’s coalition call expanded the vision globally. Together, these interventions created a narrative arc that moved from individual national challenges to collective global opportunities, while simultaneously reframing traditional disadvantages (small size, limited resources, regulatory requirements) as potential competitive advantages in the AI era. The discussion evolved from technical implementation details to strategic positioning, from national solutions to international collaboration, and from technology-first to people-first approaches.

What portion of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information budget is earmarked specifically for youth development initiatives, particularly in AI, digital infrastructure, and rural programming?

Speaker

Doreen Clark

Explanation

This question seeks transparency in budget allocation for youth-focused AI and digital initiatives, which is crucial for measuring government commitment to developing the next generation’s digital capabilities.

Is there a plan to introduce a distinct youth development line item in future budgets to improve transparency and ensure that youth-led AI initiatives receive measurable support and accountability?

Speaker

Doreen Clark

Explanation

This follow-up question addresses the need for better budget transparency and accountability mechanisms specifically for youth AI initiatives, which would help track progress and ensure adequate funding.

How can small island developing states create a coalition or partnership mechanism to share AI expertise, funding, and resources across regions?

Speaker

Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell

Explanation

This question highlights the need for inter-regional cooperation among small island developing states to overcome common challenges in AI adoption, funding, and capacity building through collective action.

How can the ACP-EU Global Gateway agenda and strategy financing mechanisms be leveraged to create cross-regional partnerships for AI and emerging technology adaptation?

Speaker

Richard Brown

Explanation

This question explores existing international financing mechanisms that could support AI development across African, Caribbean, and Pacific states, potentially providing a concrete pathway for funding digital transformation initiatives.

How can the model of AI academy and digital worker training implemented in Jamaica be replicated in other developing countries, particularly in Africa?

Speaker

Chukwuemeka Cameron

Explanation

This question addresses the scalability of Jamaica’s successful AI training model to other regions, which could help address the global shortage of AI professionals while creating economic opportunities.

What specific metrics and methodologies should be used to measure citizen inclusion and benefit from AI initiatives at the national level?

Speaker

Stacey Hines

Explanation

This question seeks to establish concrete ways to track whether AI implementations are actually benefiting citizens, which is essential for ensuring people-centric AI adoption and maintaining public trust.