AMBER Group is aiming to build Jamaica’s first locally developed large language model (LLM), part of a broader effort to shift the island from consuming artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed overseas to creating and exporting its own AI technologies.

Large language models are AI systems that power conversational tools such as ChatGPT, enabling computers to understand and generate human language.

The ambition forms part of the newly launched Amber National AI Lab, which recently welcomed 150 participants in its inaugural cohort. While the initiative was unveiled as a training programme, Amber says its broader objective is to develop Jamaican-owned AI technologies, software and intellectual property that can compete globally.

“In practice, this means moving Jamaica from subscribing to overseas software platforms to building, owning, and monetising our own proprietary software and intellectual property (IP),” the company said in response to questions from the Jamaica Observer.

According to Amber, Jamaica has traditionally consumed technology created elsewhere, which leaves ownership of the software, data and economic value in foreign markets. Through the lab, Amber hopes to reverse that trend by developing local AI engineers.

“Instead of sending digital jobs offshore, we are training Jamaican engineers to build AI agents, custom large language models (LLMs), and automated workflows right here in Jamaica,” Amber said.

Dushyant Savadia, chairman and chief executive officer of Amber Group, which is seeking to develop Jamaica’s first cultural AI model through the Amber National AI Lab.

The company’s first objective is to develop what it describes as Jamaica’s first “Cultural LLM”, an AI model trained on Jamaican language, culture, business regulations and Caribbean consumer behaviour. According to Amber, that local understanding would make AI applications more relevant for Jamaican users before they are adapted for overseas markets. Instead of developing separate AI systems for each industry, Amber plans to use the Cultural LLM as the underlying technology for applications across education, health care, financial services, government and commerce. The same model could then be adapted to power chatbots, automated services and decision-support tools for both the public and private sectors.

Commercial AI applications, however, will take some time, as the lab will spend its first six months training participants in AI engineering before transitioning them to real-world software development and live projects during the second half of the programme. Once those technologies are developed and validated, Amber plans to commercialise them through its existing operations across five continents. The company said it will leverage its international distribution network, corporate sales teams, and technology hubs to market and licence Jamaican-built AI software to global customers, creating what it describes as a technology export opportunity for the country.

The inaugural cohort includes participants from specialised units within institutions such as the Jamaica Defence Force, with discussions already under way regarding the size of the next intake. Applications for the 2027 cohort are expected to open in the first quarter of 2027. Future cohorts will be open to a broad cross section of Jamaicans, including high school and university graduates, working professionals seeking to transition into AI engineering, and entrepreneurs.

“Our core philosophy is that passion, discipline, and aptitude matter far more than formal prior coding experience,” Amber Group said in a written response to the Business Observer.

Selection for the inaugural cohort followed a nationwide application process that included psychometric assessments measuring analytical ability, digital literacy and problem-solving skills rather than relying solely on academic qualifications. The initiative is being delivered through a public-private-academic partnership involving Amber Group, HEART/NSTA Trust, the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) and Digicel. Amber said it has made a multimillion-dollar private investment in the curriculum, computing infrastructure and AI faculty, while HEART provides campus facilities, UTech provides academic accreditation and Digicel provides network connectivity. Participants also receive stipends and learning resources through the partnership.