CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General Dr Armstrong Alexis, has called for deeper cooperation within the Region to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) strengthens, rather than weakens, democratic societies.
The CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General made the call during a High-Level Roundtable discussion at the Third Summit of Ministers and High Authorities on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America and the Caribbean held from 25 -26 June 2026 in the Dominican Republic under the theme – The impact of AI on disinformation and the exercise of democratic freedom. In his contribution, he focused on AI-driven disinformation risks in small island states – electoral integrity, public health narratives, and community trust.
Framing the conversation in the context of the open, connected and democratic nature of the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. Alexis pointed out that while artificial intelligence is reshaping the information landscape in ways that both expand and challenge democratic freedoms, it also amplifies the scale, speed, and sophistication of disinformation.
He referred to recent incidents across the Community that demonstrate that the threats are no longer hypothetical, pointing out that greater regional cooperation offers significant opportunities to confront those challenges. These opportunities can take the form of strengthened democratic resilience through shared early-warning mechanisms; rapid information-sharing systems; closer coordination among electoral management bodies; cybersecurity agencies and media regulators; and stronger partnerships with independent fact-checking organisations and civil society.
The DSG posited that, at the same time, the Region must continue investing in digital literacy and AI readiness so that citizens, particularly young people, can participate safely, confidently, and productively in an AI-enabled economy and information ecosystem.
“The most durable defence against disinformation is investment in people, media and information literacy, and support for independent journalism,” the Deputy Secretary-General said. He warned that humans must remain informed if AI is to be beneficial in enhancing efficiency in the Community.
During the discussion, he also highlighted the work that is being advanced in the Region through the Strategic Framework for Regional Digital Resilience 2025–2030, the UNESCO Caribbean AI Policy Roadmap, the CARICOM-UNDP Regional Programme on AI 2026–2030, the Secretariat’s AI Action Plan, and partnerships including the Caribbean AI Task Force and AI for SIDS 2.0 with UNDP.
