Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says Jamaica should embrace Synthetic Intelligence (AI) and superior know-how, because it prepares for a “cyber-physical world,” the place cyber know-how and the bodily world intersect.
Dr. Holness was talking on the Amber Group’s tenth Anniversary Celebration & AI Robotics Showcase, held on the AC Lodge in Kingston on Tuesday (October 14).
The Prime Minister identified that the world is now experiencing a fourth industrial revolution the place “know-how and machines are working collectively” to ship providers in an unbiased manner.
He acknowledged the potential affect of this modern know-how on jobs within the enterprise course of outsourcing (BPO) and different industries.
Dr. Holness emphasised that the answer is to not cover from or be scared of the know-how.
“The answer is for us to make use of the know-how to extend the extent of coaching and abilities in our society, in order that our individuals can tackle higher-order duties, which convey higher-order pay,” he argued.
Dr. Holness stated there’s a degree of underemployment within the society, and for Authorities to deal with with it quickly and at scale, it should embrace know-how.
“So, the AI, it’s really a bonus for us if we embrace it and use it in the fitting manner… not as a displacement of labour however to make sure that our labour pressure will get coaching, the expertise, the take-on to greater abilities, extra subtle duties that can develop our financial system,” the Prime Minister emphasised.
He pointed to the work being undertaken on the Nationwide AI Lab by the Amber Group, whereas noting that it is a vital a part of the nation’s technique.
“And we want extra than simply the one which we’re going to develop on the College of Know-how (UTech). We want them proper throughout the nation, together with in our main colleges, in order that extra kids can grow to be native to AI,” Dr. Holness stated.
In his remarks, President of UTech Jamaica, Dr. Kevin Brown, stated that the soon-to-be-opened Nationwide AI Lab represents some of the forward-looking investments in Jamaica’s technological future.
“The AI lab will likely be a centre of excellence the place college students, researchers, builders and entrepreneurs will converge to discover the limitless potential of AI. It should empower Jamaicans to design AI-based options for business, healthcare, agriculture, finance and schooling,” Dr. Brown affirmed.
He emphasised that the lab will assist Jamaica to grow to be a producer of know-how and never only a shopper.
“We will likely be producing our personal AI instruments, and that is for you, each in the private and non-private sectors,” the President stated.
He identified that the Nationwide AI Lab will speed up Jamaica’s digital transformation and unlock new streams of overseas trade earnings from improvements developed within the island.
The President famous that the Amber Group has dedicated to investing near US$2 million within the lab to assist the buildout of the state-of-the-art computing infrastructure.
The Nationwide AI Lab is a collaborative mission involving the Amber Group; UTech Jamaica; the Ministry of Schooling, Abilities, Youth and Data and the HEART/NSTA Belief.
