By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net 

WITH artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a fixture in everyday life and business, the Davis administration is drafting a national policy to safeguard Bahamians from its potential downsides.

Wayde Watson, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, made the announcement yesterday in the House of Assembly during the 2025/2026 budget debate.

“As a government,” Mr Watson said, “it is imperative to develop legislation and policy to regulate AI and other technological advancements.”

He added that the administration is currently preparing a white paper on AI policy for Cabinet review.

AI has increasingly been used for research and problem-solving. Businesses have leaned into the technology, replacing some factory jobs with machines and turning to AI to handle customer service queries. But Watson made clear that AI’s benefits come with serious risks.

“With the implementation of a new national AI policy document,” he said, “the government intends to guide its people, the government and businesses alike, to mitigate any potential negative fallout.”

The Bahamas is not alone in its effort to get ahead of artificial intelligence. More than 60 countries around the world have already drafted national AI strategies, some as early as 2017.

Canada was among the first to launch a national strategy in 2017 that focused on research funding and the ethical use of AI. It has since moved toward tighter regulation, with a federal bill now under review that would govern how high-impact AI systems are developed and used. The UK, meanwhile, laid out its own AI strategy in 2021 and has since established an AI Safety Institute aimed at identifying and mitigating the risks associated with emerging technologies.

Singapore launched a national AI strategy in 2019 that includes clear goals across public health, finance and urban development. The United Arab Emirates took a step further, appointing a Minister of State for AI in 2017 and investing resources in infrastructure, including what is set to be one of the world’s largest AI data centre clusters.

In Europe, the EU is preparing to enforce what may become the world’s most comprehensive AI law, requiring developers to meet strict transparency and safety standards. Countries like Germany, France and Spain have all adopted their own national strategies in line with the EU’s broader plan.

Mr Watson also addressed the government’s ballooning IT costs. He announced plans for a National Data Centre to be located in the former Swift building of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company. The building is currently 65 percent demolished and will be renovated for the project.

The centre is expected to cut recurring costs and boost the efficiency of data storage and computing across government departments.

He pointed out another persistent issue: many government processes are still paper-based, slowing down operations. To fix this, a proposal is being considered to create a National Digitisation Office. That office would be tasked with scanning, indexing, and storing documents electronically for centralised access.

On the consumer protection front, Watson reported that the Consumer Affairs Unit identified 16 regulatory violations related to the sale of goods. Ten cases have already ended in guilty pleas, while six are still pending.