AI Task Force to Develop Draft Policy By November

The National AI (artificial intelligence) Task Force is to develop a National AI Draft Policy by November 2026.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 2.

“It will cover eight domains from innovation and economic growth through to ethics, legal frameworks, and government-industry collaboration developed through genuine public consultation,” Dr. Wheatley said.

The Minister noted that government entities have already begun using artificial intelligence tools in the execution of their functions.

He argued, however, that it is not being used in a coordinated way or under a formal policy.

“The problem is that AI use is outpacing understanding. It is outpacing oversight, it is outpacing accountability. And in the context of government where public servants handle sensitive personal data, confidential State information, and records that belong to the Jamaican people, that gap is a risk we cannot afford to ignore,” Dr. Wheatley said.

“I had to instruct our AI Task Force to treat with urgency and provide a report on AI literacy within the public sector. Within two weeks they have formulated an AI literacy programme and have given us recommendations,” he added.

Dr. Wheatly stressed that this initiative is not a technical training course but it is a policy-grounded programme that equips every public officer to understand what AI is, how it is being used, what the risks are, and where the boundaries must lie – covering data governance, data sovereignty, privacy obligations under the Data Protection

Act, cybersecurity risks, ethics, and the non-negotiable principle that human oversight cannot be delegated to a machine.

The Minister informed that the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) is being considered as the principal training and delivery entity within government, with the Jamaica ICT Authority as a central partner.

“We cannot build an AI-ready Jamaica from the outside in. It must start with the public service. The Government of Jamaica will move immediately to advance a structured AI Literacy programme across the public service, and Government must lead this effort itself,” Dr. Wheatley stated.