Christopher Brown presses Government on AI policy delays and cybersecurity law

Christopher Brown has criticised the Government for what he described as prolonged delays in finalising Jamaica’s artificial intelligence policy and cybersecurity legislation, warning that the country remains behind on two areas central to national security and economic readiness.

Speaking in Parliament, Brown said an AI task force was created in August 2023, its recommendations were published in 2025, and a UNESCO assessment was completed in April this year. He said the administration is only now beginning to draft a national AI policy, leaving Jamaica without a settled plan three years later.

Brown argued that Jamaicans need more than conferences and speeches on technology. He said the country should have a clear, funded programme that tells citizens where to train, what skills to learn, who will pay, and what employment opportunities could follow. He said other countries are already doing this and questioned why Jamaica has not moved faster.

Turning to cybersecurity, Brown pointed to Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, saying the storm showed how vulnerable the country becomes when communication systems and public services fail. He said cell towers went down across entire parishes and emergency services were left operating without the information they needed.

Brown said the Caribbean is the world’s fastest-growing region for cyberattacks, with attacks increasing by 25 per cent each year. He also referred to major breaches in both the public and private sectors over the past five years, including a figure of 49 million mentioned earlier in the debate.

He warned that if critical assets such as the Port of Kingston were disrupted, movement across the country could be badly affected. Brown said Jamaica still lacks a legal framework giving the Government authority to require minimum cybersecurity standards from public bodies, Customs, hospitals, ports and utilities.

He said only a Cybersecurity Act could close that gap, which he said was identified from 2015. Brown also cited the Government’s statement to the OAS that “The work is progressing with an anticipated completion in 2027,” and said its own updated cybersecurity strategy had carried a December 31, 2025 implementation target.

Brown said his concerns were based not only on his role as a legislator, but also on private-sector experience working with NIDS, eGov Jamaica and JAM-DEX, where he said he saw delays, underfunding and missed deadlines.