—President Ali says; pledges investments in human resources, infrastructure

ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world, and President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has taken note of this, pledging to invest in building out an AI ecosystem while ensuring its human resources are digitally literate.

The President explained how digital literacy is the doorway to unlocking opportunities during his feature address on the eve of Guyana’s 59th Independence Anniversary. Guyana has been undergoing an unprecedented transformation since the government assumed office in 2020, and President Ali has continuously set the bar higher, vowing to foster a united and developed Guyana.

On that note, he underscored that in the future, Guyana must be an exporter of educational and health services. He told the nation: “We must invest in medical tourism with Guyana as a preferred provider of world-class healthcare. We have to do all of this whilst creating opportunities for our diaspora to also participate.”

However, to support a future of transformation, in which citizens have values that are held in high esteem, technological transformation is key, the President said.

“…The creation of digital infrastructure to promote universal access to every aspect of ICT; universal IT literacy, IT literacy for Guyanese of all ages, digitisation for more efficient Government services, incubating digital innovation, creating an artificial intelligence ecosystem to leverage the benefits of AI across all sectors. These are the areas of the future that we will invest in heavily to ensure the prosperity and sustainability of our country and our people,” Dr. Ali stated.

Further, the Head of State said that all of this must be on a bedrock in which Guyanese are secure and safe.

Turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s tech-powered opportunities with the use of AI is a strategy that was previously proposed by President Ali, who called on global leaders to use open AI and digital access to bridge the divide.

Dr. Ali provided advice on the use of AI while delivering the feature address at the Spring 2025 Berkeley Innovation Forum, California, United States.

“AI must serve rather than replace humans. It must empower rather than exploit and uplift rather than marginalise. Only through such a reimagined vision where AI is directed towards the common good can we ensure the next era of globalisation is one of conversion, not division,” President Ali firmly said.

As the President reflected on the digital revolution throughout history, he pointed out that “big data,” robotics and the internet are shaping economies at an unprecedented speed, concentrating technological power in a few hands.

Owing to the challenges of today, President Ali underscored that AI is poised to usher in a new era that could redefine human civilisation. The Guyanese Head of State said that there must be a positive approach to AI.

TACKLING THE DIGITAL GAP

While the President spoke extensively on how AI could be used to target some of the world’s most prominent issues, he did not stray away from addressing the digital gap in developing countries.

He gave his proposal on how an AI strategy can be developed to address the digital divide.
“It is essential for these countries to adopt a dual approach as they work to digitise their economies…By doing so, they can bypass outdated systems, accelerate their development and harness the full potential of AI to drive progress in key sectors like healthcare, education and infrastructure,” President Ali said.

He then outlined that one of the powers of AI is that it allows for investment today, to meet tomorrow’s challenges, but in a way that is futuristic.

The President then proposed the promotion of open-source AI tools and models, noting that developing countries could access cutting edge technologies without the prohibitive cost of proprietary software.

He said that this approach allows these nations to adopt AI solutions to the specific needs and context, whether in healthcare, agriculture or education, thereby fostering local innovation and reducing dependence on expensive technologies.