University students from across the region took their seats in the Parliament Chamber this week as the University of the West Indies (UWI) STAT Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly convened its inaugural sitting, with artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on regional development at the centre of debate.
The assembly brought together student representatives from UWI associations across the Caribbean, along with members of the Guild of Students, Vice-Chancellor’s Ambassador Corps and the Rotary Club of Barbados, in what organisers described as an initiative aimed at strengthening civic engagement and regional dialogue among young leaders.
Prime Minister of the Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly, Joshua Harris, said the sitting marked an important step in preparing Caribbean youth to engage in regional policy and governance discussions.
“We are debating harnessing artificial intelligence for regional economic development,” he said, noting that students participating came from a wide range of disciplines including economics, law, political science and sports studies.
Opening the debate, Harris told the assembly that artificial intelligence was already reshaping economies and societies globally and the Caribbean must act collectively to ensure it was not left behind.
“Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept. It is shaping economies, transforming health care systems, transforming education and influencing the very social fabric of modern societies as we speak,” he said.
Regional cooperation
He argued that AI could open new development pathways for small island developing states and create opportunities across several sectors.
“This technological innovation has emerged as one of the factors that determine which nations rise, which industries thrive and which people are empowered or left vulnerable,” Harris said, adding that AI could help improve health care, strengthen education, enhance climate resilience and increase economic opportunities for Caribbean businesses.
He also noted that while the Caribbean accounted for significant interaction with artificial intelligence tools globally, the region attracted only a small share of global AI investment, highlighting the need for regional cooperation and investment.
“Therefore, as a region, we need to explore pooling our resources and sourcing funding as a regional block to enhance our digital infrastructure, research capacity and innovation ecosystems,” he said.
Harris added that artificial intelligence could transform industries such as tourism, agriculture, health care, education and financial
services and warned that the region must prepare its workforce for the changes ahead.
“We cannot, Sir, and we must not leave our workers behind . . . Strong labour transition policies centred on upskilling, reskilling and social protections must be included,” he said.
Opposition Business Leader Shiloh Robertson-Hassanati supported the adoption of AI but warned that without proper planning and investment, the technology could worsen inequality across the region.
“The question before us is not simply whether we march forward with AI, it is whether we do so in an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way for all our Caribbean people,” she said.
She argued that many small businesses and workers were not yet prepared for artificial intelligence and could be left behind without proper support.
“We cannot expect them to adopt AI without help . . . Innovation without inclusion is like a masquerade without music,” Robertson-Hassanati said, adding that labour policy, education reform and digital infrastructure must advance alongside digital innovation.
She also warned that artificial intelligence would significantly transform the labour market and governments must prepare workers for that transition.
“Artificial intelligence will not only create opportunities, but it will disrupt livelihoods . . . Protecting labour is not optional, but it is essential,” she said.
Robertson-Hassanati also stressed that Caribbean countries must work together on a regional strategy.
“No Caribbean nation can harness AI alone. CARICOM must develop a regional AI strategy grounded in ethics, transparency and humancentred design,” she said. Education emerged as a major theme in the debate, with student representatives arguing that Caribbean education systems must integrate AI literacy, coding and digital innovation into curricula from primary through tertiary level. ( CLM)
The post UWI students debate AI’s value appeared first on nationnews.com.
