UNESCO Jamaica AI Report
Jamaica has made significant strides toward preparing for the age of artificial intelligence. The UNESCO-led Readiness Assessment highlighted that Jamaica already has a strong digital foundation: high internet penetration and mobile adoption, a Data Protection Act (2020) that grants rights such as contesting automated decisions, and an Open Data Policy (2021) promoting transparency.
However, the assessment also revealed gaps. There is no standalone AI law yet, and institutional structures dedicated solely to AI governance are still in early stages. Research and innovation investment remains low (only about 0.06% of GDP) and Jamaica recorded just 13 AI-related publications from 2019-2024.
Technical and infrastructure challenges persist, while electricity access is high (97.7%), data infrastructure scores are modest, and rural-urban connectivity divides and frequent power outages pose risks to consistent digital transformation.
On the social and cultural side, Jamaica is engaging stakeholders across government, academia, private sector and civil society in its assessment process. The diagnostic process included extensive consultation across five dimensions: legal/regulatory, technical/infrastructure, economic, education/scientific and social/cultural.
The report concludes with high-level recommendations for Jamaica’s AI strategy, including: enacting a dedicated AI law; establishing or expanding an AI regulatory authority; embedding ethics into procurement and governance; developing AI-specific education and research programmes; increasing R&D investment; ensuring local data and context are central; and aligning AI deployment with sustainable development and inclusivity.
In short, Jamaica is well-positioned to lead in AI within the Caribbean, given its legal and digital groundwork, but key efforts are needed to move from readiness to action: building institutional capacity, growing local research, investing in infrastructure and making sure the benefits of AI are inclusive and locally grounded.
The Report can be reviewed or downloaded at the link below
