JAMAICA is moving to draft its first comprehensive national artificial intelligence (AI) policy, signalling a decisive step towards formalising governance of the rapidly evolving technology.

This was disclosed at the launch of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Jamaica Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report, which is set to help countries gauge their capacity to handle responsible AI deployment.

The AI readiness assessment methodology highlights gaps and recommends improvements that will provide guidance to build ethical, inclusive, and sustainable AI systems. It provides a principled, globally benchmarked framework for member states to assess their preparedness across five critical dimensions — legal and regulatory, technological and infrastructural, economic, social and cultural, and scientific and educational.

Minister without portfolio with responsibility for science and technology, Dr Andrew Wheatley, told the launch that with both the national AI policy recommendations and the UNESCO Readiness Assessment now complete, the policy drafting process is underway and will be anchored in Vision 2030, guided by ethical standards and shaped through broad national consultation.

“This policy will be developed transparently, submitted through the proper channels to the Cabinet, and go through the Cabinet process to ensure that we have the widest input as is possible and implemented through a dedicated coordination programme,” said the minister at the Banquet Hall of Jamaica House on Wednesday.

Wheatley described the assessment as a “defining moment” in Jamaica’s digital transformation, positioning the country among the first in the Caribbean to undertake a nationally coordinated AI readiness evaluation using UNESCO’s methodology.

According to him, the report highlights both strengths and gaps in Jamaica’s preparedness, pointing to existing frameworks such as the Data Protection Act and the Cybercrimes Act as solid foundations, while underscoring the need for AI-specific legislation and stronger institutional oversight.

“We have a young, digitally engaged population, a growing technology ecosystem, and a cultural footprint that is disproportionately large relative to our size. One that makes Jamaica-rooted AI innovation uniquely positioned to resonate in global markets. But this report also speaks candidly about where we must go and what we must do. We need AI-specific legislation, addressing accountability and biases. We need stronger institutional infrastructure for AI governance, including a national AI oversight and implementation council,” he said.

The assessment, which incorporated input from nearly 200 stakeholders across government, academia, private sector, and civil society, also calls for increased investment in AI to drive productivity in key sectors, including agriculture, tourism, health care, and public services.

“We must expand AI education from early childhood through tertiary and vocational levels, close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and scale community-based AI literacy across the country. We must leverage AI as a driver of national productivity in agriculture, tourism, health care and public services, while at the same time creating the investment conditions that attract partnership and capital,” he said.

Wheatley emphasised that Jamaica’s early action places a responsibility on the country to lead by example in the region.

“Being among the first in the Caribbean to complete this assessment gives us both a head start and a responsibility to demonstrate that small island developing states can govern transformative technology wisely…a responsibility to our citizens, to our region, and to the generations of young Jamaicans who will live and work in an AI-shaped world,” he said.

“We are an active, principled, and determined participant, and today’s launch is proof of that. We were among the first in our region to do this work. We intend to be among the first to show what responsible AI governance truly looks like in practice,” he said.