Caribbean Charts United Course for Artificial Intelligence

Caribbean nations are charting a unified course for artificial intelligence (AI), underscoring the urgent need for a structured regional framework to guide its responsible development and implementation. The Trinidad-based Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is at the forefront of this initiative, advocating for a cohesive approach across the archipelago.

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AI must be harnessed to reduce our vulnerabilities and amplify our strengths. That requires a forum that sets the pace and the structure for action: standards that fit our scale, governance that protects our citizens, capacity development pathways that keep talent in the region, and financing models that help make pilot projects sustainable and scalable.

Nigel Cassimire, the CTU's Deputy Secretary-General, stressed at the first Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Forum (CAIF) 2026 that AI must be harnessed to reduce regional vulnerabilities and amplify strengths. "That requires a forum that sets the pace and the structure for action: standards that fit our scale, governance that protects our citizens, capacity development pathways that keep talent in the region, and financing models that help make pilot projects sustainable and scalable," he stated.

The forum, held under the theme ‘AI for Caribbean Transformation: Governance, Innovation and Resilience for a Shared Digital Future,’ brought together regional and international leaders, policymakers, academics, innovators, and private-sector stakeholders. Graeme Thomson, a founding member of World Digital Governance (WDG), called for bold regional cooperation to strengthen digital transformation, build shared capabilities, and amplify the Caribbean's voice in global digital governance. He argued that sovereignty and cooperation are not mutually exclusive, stating, "The coming of artificial intelligence and digital transformation are challenges too big for us to tackle alone."

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The future belongs to those who think boldly and organise intelligently and together. Sovereignty and cooperation are not opposites.

Thomson elaborated that only through collective effort can the region educate its workforce, build interoperable digital services and the underlying infrastructure, and shape international conversations to its advantage. "This is not surrendering sovereignty. It is exercising sovereignty intelligently," he asserted.

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The coming of artificial intelligence and digital transformation are challenges too big for us to tackle alone.

Organized by the CTU in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus and the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre (AIIC), the forum aimed to generate actionable recommendations for policy harmonization, fostering innovation, strengthening regional capacity, and positioning the Caribbean as a leader in responsible AI development. A significant feature of the forum was the launch of the Caribbean AI Task Force Report (CAITF), which provides crucial recommendations to guide regional AI policy and implementation. Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Principal of UWI St Augustine Campus, reaffirmed the institution's commitment to advancing innovation and scholarship to support the region's digital future.

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Only together can we educate a regional workforce, can we build interoperable digital services and the infrastructure underpinning them. And only together can we shape international conversations to our interests. This is not surrendering sovereignty. It is exercising sovereignty intelligently.