分类： technology

As artificial intelligence continues its accelerating transformation of global information consumption patterns, Jamaica is facing a critical gap in public digital preparedness, with a groundbreaking national survey showing just 30 percent of Jamaican adults have any working familiarity with deepfakes and AI-driven misinformation. The findings have prompted immediate calls from top industry and academic stakeholders for widespread investment in improving the nation’s digital literacy rates.

The peer-reviewed study was conducted by a team of social science researchers from the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at The University of the West Indies, Mona. To ensure a representative snapshot of public knowledge across the country, the research team surveyed 1,072 respondents across all 14 of Jamaica’s parishes between October and December 2025.

At the official report launch held Tuesday, Cordel Green, Executive Director of the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ), joined lead researchers and industry stakeholders for a panel discussion on the study’s implications. During the conversation, Green emphasized that growing global digitization has left populations far more exposed to the harms of unchecked misinformation, particularly as AI tools become more accessible to bad actors.

Responding to a question from SALISES Director Professor Lloyd Waller on how Jamaicans can build resilience against malicious AI misuse, Green outlined the BCJ’s long-standing policy position on digital harm: For nearly 20 years, the Commission has rejected top-down, paternalistic regulatory approaches as the primary solution to digital risks. Instead, Green argued that the most effective regulatory tool for the digital age is widespread public digital media and information literacy.

Professor Waller highlighted additional alarming findings from the survey: Beyond low public awareness of deepfakes, only six percent of the Jamaican population has received any formal training in how AI technologies operate. While the study did not find evidence that Jamaica’s current cybersecurity infrastructure is facing widespread AI-driven attacks, Waller noted the research confirms the nation’s population remains highly vulnerable to AI-fueled scams, deepfake disinformation, and online hoaxes.

Green further noted that the rapid pace of AI innovation creates unique ongoing challenges for policymakers and educators. “We are even now talking about artificial intelligence and it is developing so rapidly that we have to put our hubris in check because the AI we are talking about today is not the AI we are going to talk about in another five years,” he explained. Looking ahead, he pointed to emerging convergence between neuroscience and AI as what he called the “mother of all transformation,” a shift that poses unprecedented challenges to personal autonomy. He cautioned that much global attention is currently focused on visible AI innovations, a focus that benefits high-profile tech leaders like Elon Musk, who are simultaneously advancing neurotechnology that could encroach on what Green called “the last bastion of human freedom.”

Green stressed that both the Jamaican government and the general public must prioritize expanding digital literacy to protect human integrity amid rapid technological change. Aligning with Green’s recommendations, the SALISES study includes multiple policy proposals to close the literacy gap. First, it calls on the government to launch nationwide public literacy campaigns, and integrate formal AI education into national school curricula through trusted existing agencies such as HEART Trust/NSTA. This training would equip the public with the skills needed to identify algorithmic manipulation and disinformation.

The study also recommends establishing dedicated national AI learning hubs, which would serve as free community resources for low-income and rural Jamaicans who are currently at highest risk of being excluded from critical digital safety education. Beyond public education, the survey captures clear public support for targeted government action: 81 percent of respondents back strict government regulation and oversight of AI as a necessary deterrent against malicious misuse for identity theft and disinformation campaigns.

Finally, the study emphasizes a core priority for Jamaican consumers: 81 percent of respondents support maintaining human accountability as the foundation for decision-making, with AI restricted to a supplementary role. This framework ensures all critical decisions and public information claims are subject to human verification to prevent preventable harmful errors.

A landmark national study mapping Jamaica’s readiness for the artificial intelligence revolution has delivered a stark warning: just 6 percent of the island’s population has received any formal training to work with AI tools, leaving the country at risk of falling further behind in the fast-evolving global digital economy.

The research, carried out by a team of analysts from the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at The University of the West Indies Mona campus, gathered responses from 1,072 Jamaicans across all 14 of the country’s parishes between October and December 2025, making it one of the most comprehensive national AI attitude surveys ever conducted in the Caribbean.

Lead researcher and SALISES research fellow Dr. Stephen Johnson, who presented the findings at the study’s official launch held at The UWI Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew on Tuesday, outlined a key paradox at the heart of the results: while most Jamaicans have heard of artificial intelligence, their actual technical understanding of how the technology works remains extremely limited.

The study’s data breaks down stark inequities in access to AI skills: the small share of Jamaicans that have received training are overwhelmingly concentrated in high-income households, holders of postgraduate degrees, and residents of suburban areas. Even accounting for these disparities, Johnson emphasized that the national average of 6 percent trained confirms Jamaica is currently falling behind global benchmarks for AI preparedness.

On a 100-point scale measuring public AI awareness, Jamaica scored a relatively strong 76, with most respondents able to identify common AI applications in everyday sectors including customer service, digital communication, and education. But Johnson explained that this surface-level awareness is often shaped by popular media depictions of sentient “science fiction style machines”, rather than a concrete, conceptual grasp of core AI functions like algorithmic operation and decision-making.

“Many respondents lack understanding of how AI actually works; struggle to distinguish AI from general technology; have low awareness of algorithmic decision making, weak risk literacy; limited understanding of deep fakes misinformation systems. AI knowledge remains shallow rather than deep, experience based rather than conceptual,” Johnson told attendees at the launch.

Despite the skills gap, the survey uncovered significant untapped public demand for AI education: 62 percent of respondents said they were interested in accessing AI training programs. The research team warned that failing to expand affordable, accessible training opportunities across the country would only widen the existing socioeconomic gap between high-income and low-income Jamaicans, as those with existing privilege lock in access to the high-value skills AI brings to the modern workforce.

Public trust in AI remains another major barrier to wider adoption, the study found. On a 10-point trust scale, Jamaicans rated their confidence in the technology at just 5.45. An overwhelming 81 percent of respondents backed calls for moderate to strict government regulation of AI systems, a result that Johnson says links directly to low public trust. He noted that building stronger public confidence in AI would encourage more widespread, innovative use of the technology across all sectors of the economy.

To address the gaps in AI skills and trust, the study put forward a series of actionable policy recommendations. These include launching a national public AI literacy campaign to deepen public understanding beyond surface-level awareness, expanding heavily subsidized AI skills training through existing national institutions like the HEART/NSTA Trust, providing targeted support for small businesses to integrate AI tools into their operations, and embedding AI education into primary and secondary school curricula to build AI skills from an early age.

When asked whether Jamaica is overall prepared to harness the full potential of generative AI, Johnson said the study shows the country has strong foundational potential, but needs to move far beyond the basic consumer use of AI tools that is currently common. He emphasized that regulation is a key, achievable step to boost readiness: “We’re ready for regulation. As you can see persons are aware of it, they are willing to use it but trust is a major factor. One of the factors that will drive trust is having necessary regulations in place to build that confidence. So when we say readiness that’s what we mean. Older persons, persons in the lower-income bracket, they are ready for training.”

Speaking during a post-launch panel discussion that included lead researchers and industry stakeholders, Christopher Reckford, chairman of Jamaica’s National AI Task-Force, echoed the call for urgent action. Reckford urged Jamaicans across all demographic groups to seize the economic opportunity presented by generative AI, noting that the technology has the unique potential to narrow long-standing digital and economic inequalities if access to skills is expanded broadly.

Global payment leader Visa has partnered with fintech firm Keyno and Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) to roll out an innovative tap-powered identity verification solution, eliminating the need for traditional passwords and one-time passcodes for card setup and user authentication.

Dubbed Tap to Confirm and Tap to Activate, the new system leverages the embedded EMV chip on every Visa card, paired with the company’s proprietary Chip Authenticate service, to complete identity checks directly through banking mobile applications. The first deployment of the technology is already live on Fidelity Bank (Bahamas)’s mobile platform, FIDSECURE, marking the first real-world adoption of this new authentication method.

The core design goal of the solution is to cut the finance industry’s long-standing dependence on vulnerable SMS verification codes, time-consuming call centre authentication checks, and clunky manual card activation workflows. As digital commerce continues to expand rapidly across the globe, reliable, user-friendly identity verification has become one of the most pressing pain points for retail banks and payment providers, Visa noted in its official launch announcement. The system turns every physical Visa card into a trusted digital identity credential, requiring only a simple tap of the card against a user’s mobile device to complete verification within the bank’s app.

Beyond new card activation, the tap-based system can also be deployed to secure higher-risk account actions, including password resets, changes to registered mailing addresses, large-value fund transfers, and adjustments to personal account spending limits. Visa emphasizes that the solution delivers robust EMV-level security, widely regarded as one of the most secure card authentication standards globally, while cutting down on the unnecessary friction that frustrates users during traditional verification processes.

Mike Romero, head of digital solutions for Visa’s Latin America and Caribbean division, explained that the company built the new tool by leveraging its existing global payment infrastructure to make identity checks both more convenient and more secure for consumers and financial institutions alike. “With tap authentication, Visa is transforming the card in your wallet into a secure, intuitive identity credential,” Romero said.

Robert J Steinman, chief executive officer of Keyno, added that the cross-industry collaboration between the three partners is focused on reimagining digital banking as a more accessible, secure, and trusted experience that only requires a single tap to work. Following the successful initial launch with Fidelity Bank Bahamas, Visa plans to roll out the tap-based verification system to more partner financial institutions globally starting in 2026.

Next Tuesday will mark a key milestone for Jamaica’s artificial intelligence strategy, as the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) hosts the official launch and public presentation of its landmark national Public AI Readiness Study. Titled *Jamaica: Opportunities, Gaps, and Priorities*, the event will convene a diverse cross-section of stakeholders — from government policymakers and industry executives to education leaders, civil society representatives, tech professionals, media and international development partners — to kickstart a national dialogue on inclusive development, data-driven planning, and national resilience in the fast-evolving AI era.

At the heart of the presentation is the long-awaited reveal of Jamaica’s first-ever Public AI Readiness Score, a custom national benchmark designed to quantify how prepared the Jamaican public is to understand, trust, access, deploy, and draw tangible benefits from both general and generative artificial intelligence. This benchmark is crafted to address the most pressing open questions surrounding Jamaica’s AI transition: Is the nation as a whole positioned to capitalize on the AI revolution? Which demographic and industry groups are already prepared to leverage the technology? Which communities and sectors risk being left behind in the shift? And what urgent actions must government, business, education institutions, and civil society take now to close gaps and build inclusive AI capacity?

Professor Lloyd Waller, SALISES director and co-lead researcher on the study, emphasized that the work aligns with the institute’s decades-long mission to generate actionable research to drive national and regional development. “Artificial intelligence is not simply a technology issue, it is a development issue,” Waller explained. “It will reshape how Jamaicans learn, work, conduct business, access critical public services, protect their personal data, and participate in national civic life. This study gives Jamaica the empirical foundation it needs to map our current position, identify who needs additional support, and ensure AI evolves as a tool for broader inclusion, higher productivity, stronger national resilience, and transformative national growth.”

Co-leading the research alongside Waller is Dr. Stephen Johnson, a research fellow based at SALISES’ Mona Campus at The University of the West Indies. Johnson noted that the readiness score is far more than a single metric: it converts aggregated public data on AI knowledge, attitudes, trust, concerns, access, usage patterns, and training needs into a clear signal for national strategic planning. “The readiness score is not just a number, it tells a story about Jamaica’s preparedness for one of the most important technological transitions of our time,” Johnson said. “It highlights where the public already has strong foundations, where critical gaps remain, and what types of targeted interventions are needed to ensure AI delivers benefits to the broad majority of Jamaicans, rather than just a small subset.”

The comprehensive study goes beyond surface-level analysis to examine a wide range of public experiences with AI: from general public knowledge of the technology and overall attitudes toward its adoption, to current usage rates, levels of trust, existing concerns, prior training exposure, access barriers, risk awareness, and capacity to benefit from AI tools. It also explores AI’s projected impacts across nearly every sector of Jamaican life, including employment, education, business productivity, public service delivery, misinformation risks, privacy protection, social inclusion, governance, and long-term national development.

Johnson stressed that the timing of the study’s release could not be more urgent, as AI has already begun integrating into every corner of Jamaican society. “AI is already reshaping Jamaica. It is entering classrooms, workplaces, government services, media systems, businesses, customer service platforms, research, tourism, health care, agriculture, and everyday life,” he noted. “The question is no longer whether AI will affect Jamaica — it already is. The more urgent question is whether Jamaica is prepared to use AI deliberately, safely, and inclusively.”

Framed around two core pillars, the report positions AI as a broad social and economic transformation challenge rather than a narrow technical issue. Its first core theme, development studies, centers the impact of AI on people, labor markets, public institutions, education systems, communities, and pathways to inclusive national growth. Its second core theme, data, provides actionable empirical evidence to help stakeholders move beyond ungrounded speculation, establishing a national baseline to guide planning for AI literacy expansion, digital inclusion, regulatory governance, workforce upskilling, public sector modernization, and responsible innovation.

Attendees of the launch event will leave with a clear breakdown of the study’s key findings, a full explanation of what the national AI readiness score means for Jamaica, an overview of how AI is expected to impact different sectors and population groups, and a roadmap of next steps for citizens, institutions, businesses, and policymakers to advance a fair and productive AI transition across the country.