Building a Digital Society, from Vision to Implementation
National AI Task Force of Jamaica. Office of the Prime Minister
Session 324
How Small Nations Can lead with AI
Small-island developing states (SIDS) face a paradox: our size makes us vulnerable to global shocks, yet it also lets us pivot quickly when new technologies emerge. Jamaica’s journey since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2015 review illustrates how agility, culture and clear policy direction can turn that paradox into an advantage. This session begins by tracing the island’s digital-transformation arc—from the early broadband roll-outs that enabled universal access programmes, through the 2019 launch of Vision 2030’s “Digital Jamaica” pillar, to the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Task Force in 2024. That Task Force, which I chair, delivered a cohesive national AI policy in March 2025 that aligns with WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs while remaining culturally rooted and ethically grounded.
Among other things, the presentation highlights three emblematic initiatives that prove theory can become practice even in resource-constrained contexts. First, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) issued Jamaica’s first digital ID cards in late 2024, creating a trusted foundation for e-government, e-commerce and cross-border digital services. Second, the Jamaica Data Exchange Platform (JDXP) and GOVPAY gateway are opening secure, API-driven channels between agencies, citizens and businesses, cutting paperwork from weeks to minutes and spawning new fintech start-ups. Third, the 2025 AI Hackathon and emerging AI Academy demonstrate how public–private partnerships can build talent pipelines, generate high-value jobs and deliver working prototypes—such as AI voice navigation for the visually impaired—within 24 hours. Each project answers a core WSIS challenge: connectivity, capacity, confidence and content.
Looking ahead to WSIS+20 and the road to 2025, the session sets out a vision in which SIDS become “test beds” and exporters of responsible, culturally diverse AI solutions. Key priorities include: (1) embedding digital public infrastructure—identity, payments, data exchange—as global public goods; (2) scaling AI ethics frameworks that protect privacy, mitigate bias and strengthen cybersecurity; (3) aligning education systems around continuous reskilling so that no citizen is left behind by automation; and (4) deepening South-South and triangular cooperation to share reference architectures, open-source code and financing models. By weaving these strands together, small nations can leapfrog legacy barriers, diversify their economies, and help WSIS evolve from a forum for dialogue into a platform for co-creating the next generation of inclusive, resilient digital societies.
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C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
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C2. Information and communication infrastructure
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C4. Capacity building
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C5. Building confidence and security in use of ICTs
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C6. Enabling environment
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-government
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-business
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-learning
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-health
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-agriculture
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C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
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C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
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C11. International and regional cooperation
In my session, I show how an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach to public governance (C1) can jump-start the resilient broadband, cloud and satellite infrastructure (C2) that small nations need to thrive in an AI era. I describe the continuous reskilling programmes we are rolling out (C4) and how I embed cybersecurity, privacy and responsible-AI safeguards (C5 + C10) inside an agile, investment-friendly regulatory environment (C6) so that digital ambition translates into trusted public infrastructure.
Building on that foundation, I spotlight the high-impact applications now live across the Caribbean—seamless e-ID and paperless public services (C7 E-government), AI-powered e-commerce tools for micro-exporters (C7 E-business), and adaptive online learning platforms (C7 E-learning)—all of which boost productivity and inclusion. I also champion locally trained language models and indigenous content to protect our cultural and linguistic diversity (C8), and I call for deeper South-South exchanges of digital public goods, epitomising the cooperative spirit of C11.
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Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
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Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
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Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
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Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
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Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
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Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
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Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
In my session, I will do my very best to show how building a Caribbean-ready digital society advances several human-centred Goals at once. I start with SDG 4 (Quality Education) by demonstrating AI-powered e-learning and continuous reskilling programmes, and I weave in SDG 5 (Gender Equality) through gender-balanced scholarships and women-led incubators. These initiatives feed directly into SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth) by giving micro-exporters and gig-workers the digital tools they need to thrive. None of this is possible without the resilient broadband, cloud and satellite backbones I outline—core infrastructure that propels SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure) while closing opportunity gaps and tackling SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) head-on.
Building on that foundation, I highlight AI-first public services and open urban data that make our towns smarter, safer and more participatory, advancing SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities). I fold green-by-design principles and digital carbon ledgers into every project to support SDG 13 (Climate Action), while robust cybersecurity, privacy-by-design and ethical-AI oversight strengthen public trust and institutions, aligning with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions). Finally, I call for South-South digital-public-goods exchange and blended-finance models—embodying the cooperative spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and ensuring no small nation is left behind.