The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas is positioning itself to build a digitally and AI-literate workforce as artificial intelligence reshapes industries worldwide, with Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle outlining a strategy that combines skills training, regulatory safeguards and workforce development to ensure Bahamians benefit from AI.

Speaking at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Ms Glover-Rolle said the government’s objective is to prevent workers from being left behind as countries transition from what she described as the Information Age into the “Intelligent Age.”

“AI has deepened the risk of a digital divide that exposes workers to disruption without allowing them to benefit,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “We’re determined to close that divide. Our goal is a digitally and AI literate workforce and a new generation of entrepreneurs who can strengthen existing businesses with technology and build new ones.”

Addressing delegates at the conference, Ms Glover-Rolle argued that the next phase of technological advancement requires more than simply providing access to information.

“Before this era of artificial intelligence, there was the Information Age and the Digital Age,” she said. “During those periods, we learned to access data on an unprecedented scale, but the age we are now entering, rightly described as the Intelligent Age, demands something more. It represents a shift from simply accessing information to interpreting and acting on it.”

She stressed that the outcomes of AI adoption are not inevitable.

“The outcomes of this transformation are not predetermined,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “They will be shaped by the policies we adopt and the institutions we build.”

To prepare workers for that transition, the government is expanding its workforce training initiatives. More than 14,000 Bahamians have already enrolled in Upskill Bahamas, the government’s free online learning platform, which includes artificial intelligence training. The Government plans to increase enrollment to 25,000 participants in the coming months.

Ms Glover-Rolle also plans for the Bahamas AI Academy are advancing which would provide advanced training opportunities and help workers and business owners integrate AI into their careers and operations.

“These initiatives are designed with accessibility and equity at the core, ensuring participation across genders, across age groups, while removing cost and geography as barriers in an archipelago spanning many islands that is essential for The Bahamas.” she said.

The government’s strategy extends beyond AI-specific training. Ms Glover-Rolle said technical and vocational education remains a priority, with investments planned for a new main campus and additional satellite campuses for the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute. Meanwhile, students enrolled at the Bahamas Polytechnic and Accreditation Centre will be able to earn career certifications before graduating from high school. She emphasized that sectors requiring interpersonal skills and direct customer interaction are expected to remain resilient despite advances in automation.

“Hospitality and customer service remain areas where the human touch matters,” she said. “We will continue investing in these AI-resilient sectors while integrating AI where it adds value.”

Alongside workforce development efforts, the government is advancing a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. Ms Glover-Rolle pointed to recently updated data protection legislation and the administration’s commitment to introducing AI-specific laws aimed at managing emerging risks associated with the technology.

She also highlighted examples of AI already being deployed across the public sector including in the Ministry of Tourism and the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

“These efforts only begin to capture the productivity gains available to us, and we intend to go further,” she said.

Throughout the transition, Ms Glover-Rolle pledged continued collaboration among government, employers and workers, describing social dialogue as critical to ensuring AI adoption benefits everyone.

She added: “Whether AI strengthens us or leaves us less competitive will depend on the choices we make,” Glover-Rolle said. “The Bahamas intends to embrace the Intelligent Age for the benefit of our workers and our future.”