'AI, power to transform TT's digital economy' says artificial intelligence minister

With a study by the UN Conference on Trade and Development in June predicting that 40 per cent of global jobs will be affected by artificial intelligence (AI), concerns continue over how advanced technology can affect employment.

The report also argues that AI is not just a job replacer. With potential for creating new industries and empowering workers in those already existing, the report says that with the right government investments, people can upskill and learn to adapt to digital change.

But addressing concerns, building trust, closing knowledge gaps and creating proper infrastructure still remain key components to this development, especially in the Caribbean region.

“If we look at the voices of leadership, we see a dream of digital economy and competitiveness with AI adoption, we see modern, safe public services, secure justice system,” said Fujitsu Caribbean CEO Mervyn Eyre at the company’s Activate Now Summit 2025 opening on October 8 at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain.

“But then, when we look at the voice of the people. We see issues of jobs and economic security, affordable connectivity, trust and fairness. So you can see some tension there between the leadership perspective and the people perspective. Things like competitiveness versus affordability, efficiency versus equity and policies versus what it actually means to me at the end of the day.”

He said these things need to be managed if the region is to succeed and noted the crucial role Fujitsu has played in the process.

Having chosen TT to house the location for the region’s first data centre in 2009, providing critical infrastructure for government services and Hosted Cloud in Trinidad serving clients like UTC on its Private Hosted Cloud, the company’s technologies have facilitated development throughout TT.

This is exactly the kind of technology that Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dominic Smith said the ministry is looking to embrace as it evolves.

“Based on my travels, every country is looking towards TT to be the technological lighthouse of this transformation.”

He said the transformation is not digital alone but in collaboration with humans to ensure equitable access.

“That transformation requires us to empower individuals through upskilling and retooling…and we must do it now. There is an urgency behind the technology…it also requires us to be part of the solutions that will be provided by the private sector as well as the government, Because there must be participation, the anxiety related to the technology must be removed and that is the responsibility of the government in part.”

He outlined some of the ministry’s initiatives in realising the goal of a more digitally integrated society.

Smith noted the government’s recent participation in the global 50-in-5 campaign, an initiative aiming to develop safe, inclusive digital public infrastructure (DPI). The goal is for 50 countries to design, implement and scale at least one component of their DPI within five years.

Through the initiative, TT is exploring the implementation of a national digital identity system for government services access, an e-government portal to streamline application submissions and a digital payment system to enable transactions for taxes and other services.

Recognising the challenges of AI like image and voice manipulation, he said awareness is a major part of the campaign. He noted the recent Cabinet approval of an AI readiness and awareness campaign that will be rolled out to the public.

“We’ve also set up two task forces, one is the Caribbean AI task force which is a combination of academics, technocrats and government ministers. These are the experts and the ones actively engaging in the technology in various environments.”

He said the task force was set up through the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. He also spoke about the government’s inter-ministerial task force, which includes the Homeland Security Ministry, to tackle the crucial concerns of cybercrime.

“There can be no transformation without trust, when we’re speaking about concepts about data it requires vulnerability…because as a private citizen you must be able to trust individuals that will harness, utilise and secure your information in your best interest.”

Emphasising the need for building trust and positive impact through collaboration, Eyre to break the silos that are present in the region’s culture.

“And don't just stick within your organisation, think end-to-end to the human that you’re serving because you're going to have to start systems to support that. Drive value and intelligence from data…protect it because it's private and have the right people and systems and processes to do that.”

He said the impact of well-organised and secure data systems is not just about technology but the real-world impact built by businesses and individuals.

Smith urged stakeholders to turn the summit’s conversations into action and “activate now.”

“The urgency behind that word ‘now’, should be the agency that each one of us takes to heart. Because it requires us to move from academia. separate ourselves from private business and look deeply into what is the future of our country and the future of our Caribbean region.”

Looking to the future, Smith said he hoped the summit and other engagements would provide equitable access to the benefits of widespread, integrated national systems that serve citizens by optimising operations across various sectors.

“One year from now I want that every citizen can say that they appreciate and can participate in online digital government services. If I were to move a little bit further I want us to be able to say that we have acted now, and we've been able to participate in the diversification of the economy via ICT-based services.”

“And if I were to scratch a little bit longer, I'd want to have a digital society where everyone is included and no one has left behind and technology can be the great equaliser for every person that wants to participate.”