SALISES ready to reveal Jamaica’s AI Readiness Score

THE Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) will host the launch and presentation of Findings of the SALISES Public Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Study (Jamaica): Opportunities, Gaps, and Priorities on Tuesday.

The launch will bring together leaders, policymakers, researchers, educators, regulators, business executives, civil society actors, media practitioners, technology professionals, and development partners for a national conversation on development studies, data, and resilience in the age of AI.

At the centre of the presentation will be the official reveal of Jamaica’s Public AI Readiness Score — a national benchmark showing how prepared Jamaicans are to understand, trust, access, use, and benefit from artificial intelligence and generative AI.

The score will help answer some of the most important questions now facing Jamaica: Are Jamaicans ready for the AI revolution? Who is ready? Who may be left behind? What must Government, business, education, and society do now to prepare?

Professor Lloyd Waller, director of SALISES and co-lead researcher, said the study is part of its long-standing mission to use research to guide national and regional development.

“Artificial intelligence is not simply a technology issue, it is a development issue. It will affect how Jamaicans learn, work, do business, access services, protect themselves, and participate in national life. This study gives Jamaica the data it needs to understand where we are, who is ready, who needs support, and how we can ensure that AI becomes a tool for inclusion, productivity, resilience, and national transformation,” said Waller.

WALLER…artificial Intelligence is not simply a technology issue, it is a development issue

Dr Stephen Johnson, research fellow at SALISES at the Mona Campus of The University of the West Indies and co-lead researcher, said the readiness score is significant because it translates public knowledge, attitudes, trust, fears, access, use, and training needs into a national planning signal.

“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. It shows where the public is strong, where the gaps remain, and what kinds of interventions are needed if AI is to benefit the many rather than the few,” said Johnson.

He pointed out that the study examines Jamaicans’ knowledge of AI; attitudes toward AI; and their current use, trust, fears, training exposure, access conditions, risk awareness, and readiness to benefit from the technology.

It also explores how AI may affect jobs, education, business productivity, public services, misinformation, privacy, inclusion, governance, and national development.

“The study is especially important for leaders and decision-makers because 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. 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,” added Johnson.

Under the theme of development studies, the report treats AI as a social and economic transformation issue, not merely a technical one.

It asks how AI will affect people, labour markets, institutions, public services, education systems, communities, and opportunities for national development.

Under the theme of data, the report provides evidence that can help policymakers, researchers, educators, businesses, and development partners move beyond speculation. It offers a national baseline for planning AI literacy, digital inclusion, governance, workforce preparation, public sector modernisation, and responsible innovation.

Those who attend will hear what the data reveal about Jamaica’s AI readiness; what the readiness score means; how AI may affect different sectors and groups; and what citizens, institutions, businesses, and policymakers must do next.