KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles says there is a need to combine both emotional intelligence (EI) and artificial intelligence (AI) to unlock growth and equity opportunities in Jamaica.

“There is a need for us to combine EI and AI to unlock new dimensions of growth, equity and opportunity in Jamaica. Various sectors, including BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), education, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and tourism, are already embracing AI innovation,” said Charles who was speaking at the CARI-CODE’s Organization Development Transformation Conference 2025.

The conference, held under the theme “Expand Your Horizon: Synergising Through the Awesome Lens of EI and AI”, highlighted the importance of integrating emotional intelligence and artificial intelligence in Jamaica’s development.

The labour minister told regional leaders and stakeholders that the Government is taking bold steps to modernise the work permit system by adopting global best practices and leveraging digital infrastructure to dramatically enhance efficiency and service delivery.

He said his ministry is actively working to incorporate AI and advanced digital technology into Jamaica’s overhauled work permit framework and the new contact centre.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr. MP, and Jada Wright interacting with the UTech Bot.

“By embracing AI and modern technology, we are reforming Jamaica’s work permit framework — transforming the entire system through the integration of global best practices and digital tools,” Charles Jr said. “What once took three months can now be done in just three hours.”

The minister further listed several areas in which EI and AI can be used to enhance nation building including integrating AI literacy and EI into the curriculum and launching initiatives like the Prompt Engineering Course to equip Jamaicans with necessary skills, finalising a national workforce readiness strategy, investing in ICT infrastructure, and supporting AI-focused start-ups to drive innovation and promoting EI in leadership development, team building and customer engagement to foster a more compassionate society.

“Jamaica is not just participating in the global digital shift; we are helping to lead it. Let us ensure our policies are inclusive, our innovations ethical and our people empowered,” he said.

The seminar explored how EI (a human trait) and AI (a technological capability) can be fused to create better organisational development and workplace transformation.

One tertiary institution so far has infused AI into its programme offerings and has begun educating students on its applications.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr. MP, JP, interacts with a conference attendees 1st left and 3rd left Ilsa deVerney- Founder/Chairman/CEO CARI-CODE/CODN, 4th left Genae Young, Owner of Extraordinary Life, LLC.

The University of Technology’s (UTECH) AI programmes emphasise practical applications in areas like natural language processing and computer vision — technologies that are increasingly being used to enhance emotional intelligence in AI systems.

As a student specialising in AI, Jada Wright is being trained to design systems that can adapt, learn and interact intelligently with humans, skills that align perfectly with the seminar’s focus.

Charles Jr also emphasised the importance of emotional intelligence in public service, particularly within his ministry, which engages daily with Jamaica’s most vulnerable populations. He noted that while AI can be used to enhance productivity and automation, emotional intelligence remains critical for human connection, leadership and empathy, especially for frontline workers delivering essential services.

“The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is perhaps the ministry that relies on emotional intelligence the most…From our social workers to our cashiers and drivers, every team member must be attuned to the needs of the people we serve,” he said.