LONDON, United Kingdom (CMC) — A regional training programme focusing on the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on elections is currently ongoing in Trinidad and Tobago, put on by the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat.

The secretariat said this reinforces the Commonwealth’s commitment to supporting resilient and adaptive electoral systems across its member countries.

The training programme, which ends on Thursday, has brought together electoral officials from across the Caribbean and the Americas to examine how AI can both strengthen and undermine electoral integrity.

Chairperson of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), Mark Ramkerrysingh, underscored the significance of hosting the event during its 50th anniversary year, noting the commission’s longstanding commitment to upholding democratic principles and advancing electoral excellence.

He said that the training programme will address a number of matters, including ethical issues and risks and legal and regulatory considerations in AI-powered elections.

“It is hoped that these discussions will allow electoral management bodies to respond proactively to its use and to use it ourselves in our operations,” said Ramkerrysing, adding, “The potential benefits are real, but they depend on capacity, data quality and ethical risk being reactive rather than proactive.”

The training forms part of the Commonwealth Election Professionals (CEP) Initiative, an Australian-funded, multi-year programme designed to strengthen the capacity of electoral management bodies (EMBs) across Commonwealth member countries. Now in its fourth phase, the programme has been ongoing since 2013.

Australian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Sonya Koppe, told the opening ceremony that her country is proud to support such an initiative.

“With CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) 2026 taking place in the Caribbean in November, holding this CEP event in Port of Spain highlights that inextricable link between regional stability and democracy. We want to see democracy firmly front and centre of CHOGM discussions.

“In a time of global democratic backsliding, the Commonwealth stands as an example of a group of countries working together to strengthen democratic resilience and uphold shared values,” Koppe said.