ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The University of the West Indies (UWI) is being urged to become “the vanguards of the region’s digital transformation” amidst concerns that the Caribbean stands at the threshold of another colonisation, this time, digital colonisation.

“Universities have always been more than institutions of learning — they are engines of societal transformation and, when history demands it, centres of resistance. Here in the Caribbean, The University of the West Indies has served for over seven decades as the intellectual heart of our region, nurturing minds that have shaped nations, economies and liberation movements from Barbados to Belize, from Jamaica to Guyana,” said the principal of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, Professor C Justin Robinson.

He was addressing the second annual Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Conference, which ends on Tuesday.

“Today, our universities must become the vanguards of digital liberation. Just as UWI played a crucial role in the intellectual foundations of Caribbean independence movements, we must now lead the charge for digital sovereignty.

“We cannot allow the same mistakes that characterised earlier eras — where Caribbean economies remained dependent on exporting raw materials while importing finished goods — to be replicated in the digital realm,” Robinson said, noting that the university’s role extends far beyond traditional education.

He told the regional and international audience that in an era where artificial intelligence promises to reshape every aspect of human existence, UWI and other universities must exercise thought leadership not just to enhance quality of life, but to ensure that the path to that enhancement runs through Caribbean agency rather than Caribbean dependency.

“We are uniquely positioned to lead this digital liberation because we understand our region’s complexities in ways that no external institution can. We know that our scattered islands and diverse territories face challenges that no algorithm developed in Silicon Valley or system designed in Singapore can fully comprehend,” he said.

Regional manager of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Dr Stacy Kennedy-Richards, said that the Caribbean cannot afford to be left behind in the digital revolution now taking place.

“The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is reshaping societies, economies and the future of work. We are at a point of inflection with regard to the use of AI and digital technologies — for better or for worse – depending on how they are deployed.

“We cannot afford to be spectators in this revolution, while other regions define the rules, and set the standards for AI. This is why this conference is so important, creating a space for necessary conversations about how we shape our own path in this rapidly evolving digital future,” she said.

The CAF officials said that the regional digital transformation strategy of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean focuses on “building the infrastructure, the institutions and the innovation ecosystem that will enable inclusive, sovereign and digital economies”.

“Investment in hardware must be matched with investment in people, and this is why we [CAF] focus on expanding access to education and training, especially for youth and women, as well as strengthening the digital capacities of public institutions.

“Our vision is a digitally sovereign Caribbean where every citizen can verify their identity, pay online and access government services seamlessly while ensuring privacy, security and inclusion.”

The highlights of the final day of the two-day conference, which is being held under the theme “Bridging Digital Frontiers: AI For Caribbean Sustainability” will be various panel discussions and presentations on a wide range of related AI topics, concluding with a “crystal ball” session examining what the Caribbean might look like in 2030 under AI transformation.

“This conference is not a mere academic exercise. It is a declaration that the Caribbean will not be spectators in the AI revolution,” Professor Robinson said, adding, “We will be co-authors of the next chapter in human advancement.”