Jamaica Establishes Artificial Intelligence Task Force  

• Jamaica's Artificial Intelligence Task Force has been officially established. Chairman of the task force, Christopher Reckord, says the group was officially formalised in August and has met a few times since then. Speaking at the Tech Beach retreat last Friday, Mr. Reckord highlighted that the main areas being considered so far include data privacy and security and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
• The key function of the task force is to conduct Artificial Intelligence research and provide an evidence-based foundation for the development of a National AI Policy.
• Earlier in the year, Minister responsible for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, shared plans for the establishment of the task force. “The Task Force’s research will comprehensively analyse the current state of AI in Jamaica, including research and development activities, adoption levels, and challenges faced by various sectors of the economy,” Senator Morris Dixon said.
• She noted that the Task Force is also expected to identify opportunities for adopting AI technologies, potential economic growth and development areas, and potential social impacts.
• “We must understand the risks and implement the necessary safeguards to allow us to respond to the rapid rate of technology change and to, ultimately, scale with confidence,” the Minister emphasised.

(Sources: RJR News & JIS)