Govt requires a clear road map to successfully implement AI

Dear Editor,
It is heartening that President Ali is embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), and wants to position Guyana to be “competitive and sustainable” (Guyana Chronicle, August 28, 2023).
AI has been in the public domain for many years, but it is only over the last year that interest in it has grown exponentially. While media focus has been on the challenges AI presents to privacy and security, the real challenge for countries such as Guyana is how to be at the forefront of integrating AI to leapfrog social and economic development.
The President should be commended for stating his Government’s intention (Guyana Chronicle, August 28, 2023), perhaps as a first step “to create the legislative environment to manage AI and digitisation.”
Powerful countries with large economies are jostling for top tier in market share of AI. The hope is that these countries would soon reach a consensus on contentious issues such as privacy, security, bias, and the limits of AI upending human intelligence. Other countries are expected to adopt with or without modifications the governing rules in this consensus.
To be a leading country and gather the momentum to be competitive, the PPP/C Government must move swiftly with a well-crafted AI policy (roadmap) beyond legislation. Such a policy should be adaptive, clear and comprehensive, and align with the Government’s priorities.
The focus on implementing AI should be in sectors of social life and economic development that would bring immediate benefits and set the stage for further integration of AI into all facets of life. Sectors such as public service, healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure, inclusive of housing, are the leading candidates for AI integration and implementation.
Successful implementation will demonstrate to the public the transformative power of AI. Government services in Guyana remain substandard and frustrating. Early effective enactment of AI in Government services can exemplify AI’s power to provide readily accessible and efficient public service to Guyanese and others.
Successful implementation of AI requires significant investment in relevant education and training in a robust digital infrastructure that includes high-speed internet, data management, and cloud computing.
President Ali had stated that “the Government is taking steps to ensure that the country is not left behind and…that the Government recently signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates which will see some 150,000 children in school being trained in coding.”
Coding is one area that would be impacted by AI. Current versions of AI chatbots can generate codes to solve complex problems faster and more efficiently than humans. However, it cannot deal effectively with subtleties and specific experiences. Consequently, human coders with unique AI programming skills would be required for special cases. Unless the coding is relevant to interacting with AI, and in general machine learning and large data management, current training in “canned coding” is inutile.
Like many transformational technologies before it, AI is receiving mixed public reactions which vary from fear to joy. The workforce, from professionals to manual labour, will be impacted by AI. Governments must engage the public for trust and acceptance, and quickly demonstrate the virtues of AI for 21st century living.

Sincerely,
Dr Muniram Budhu
Professor Emeritus