Prime Minister Highlights Growing Threat of Disinformation

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has cautioned Caribbean leaders that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), social media and other digital technologies is creating new threats to democracy, particularly through the spread of misinformation, disinformation and manipulated content.

Speaking during the official opening ceremony for the 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CAA) Region at Moon Palace Jamaica in St. Ann on Monday (August 31), Dr. Holness said the region must strengthen its democratic institutions even as it embraces technology.

“Every day, in our Caribbean societies, our democracy is being threatened by false information, deliberate campaigns that assassinate character,” he said, citing a false report that was recently circulated online claiming that a government minister had died.

Dr. Holness emphasised that such incidents underscore the real-world consequences of digital falsehoods, warning that advances in artificial intelligence are making it increasingly difficult for people to distinguish fact from fiction.

Stressing the growing challenge posed by emerging technologies, he noted that “we are entering an era where seeing is no longer believing”.

The Prime Minister urged the CPA to consider how parliaments across the region should respond to these challenges, noting that Caribbean countries must confront the growing risks associated with unregulated information, including radicalisation, hate speech and deliberate disinformation.

Dr. Holness noted that countries in Europe and North America have already begun developing legislation to address harmful digital content.

He also called for greater attention to cybersecurity, emphasising that the protection of parliamentary systems, records, communications and data must be regarded as a critical component of the region’s democratic resilience rather than merely an information technology concern.

Dr. Holness indicated that successful digital transformation will ultimately depend on people not technology alone and called for sustained investment in parliamentarians, researchers, clerks and administrative staff.

“Digital transformation ultimately depends, not on the sophistication of the hardware and software but on the capability of the people and the institutions,” he maintained.

Dr. Holness also urged leaders to prepare the next generation to inherit strong institutions that are capable of adapting to technological change while remaining firmly grounded in the principles of democracy.