International News: Inaugural Caribbean AI Forum launches with call for regional cooperation on responsible AI development

By Zoila Palma:  The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus and the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre (AIIC), officially opened the first Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Forum (CAIF) 2026 last Thursday.

Held from July 23–24 under the theme, “AI for Caribbean Transformation: Governance, Innovation and Resilience for a Shared Digital Future,” the forum brought together regional and international leaders, policymakers, academics, innovators, youth representatives and private sector stakeholders to advance the responsible development and adoption of artificial intelligence across the Caribbean.

A key feature of the forum was the launch of the Caribbean AI Task Force Report, which provides recommendations to guide regional AI policy and implementation.

Discussions also focused on AI governance, cybersecurity, data sovereignty, education, ethics, climate resilience and economic development, with speakers emphasizing the importance of regional collaboration and investment in innovation and capacity building.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, CTU Deputy Secretary-General Nigel Cassimire stressed the need for a structured framework to guide AI development across the region. “AI must be harnessed to reduce our vulnerabilities and amplify our strengths,” Cassimire said, calling for standards suited to the Caribbean, governance that protects citizens, stronger capacity development and financing models to make AI projects sustainable and scalable.

Dr. Craig Ramlal, Chair of the Caribbean AI Task Force and Executive Director of the AIIC, said regional cooperation will be critical for the Caribbean to compete in the global digital economy. “The Caribbean cannot afford to remain on the sidelines of the AI revolution,” he said, adding that working together can help the region develop harmonized AI policies, strengthen innovation, protect data sovereignty and build an AI ecosystem that reflects Caribbean priorities.

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