Parents Encouraged to Guide Their Children’s Engagements with Artificial Intelligence

As technology continues to rapidly evolve, parents are being encouraged to facilitate their children’s exploration of and engagement with artificial intelligence (AI).

This urging comes from Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, who noted that AI is a critical part of the future.

Speaking during the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) Parenting and AI Forum on Wednesday (November 27) at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library, Senator Morris Dixon pointed out that AI is, among other things, increasingly shaping the job market.

The Minister, in highlighting the significance of AI’s impact on the future of Jamaica’s youth and the global community, pointed out that by familiarising themselves with the technology, young people can better prepare for emerging career opportunities that will be central to the economy over the medium to long-term.

She emphasised, however, that children must be equipped to use it responsibly, and encourages parents to oversee and guide the youngsters’ engagements with AI.

“We want our children to understand AI because they are going to need it for their future, but it’s not enough for them to just use AI; they need to use it responsibly,” she said.

Senator Morris Dixon reiterated that the Government is actively working to integrate AI into schools, from the primary to tertiary level.

She said new AI programmes are being introduced at institutions such as the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica and the University of the West Indies (UWI), while the HEART/NSTA Trust is expanding AI-based training initiatives.

The Minister added that AI hackathons are also gaining popularity, where students tackle real-world problems using the technology.

“We have students who are learning about AI, and we say to them, ‘this is a problem the Government has, solve it with AI’, and our brilliant children are already using AI in our universities to solve some of the problems,” she said.

Senator Morris Dixon, who underscored Jamaica’s goal of becoming one of the Caribbean’s leaders in artificial intelligence, also pointed out that the country’s first AI lab is set to be opened by the end of 2025.

The forum was staged under the theme ‘TRENDJA – The Future of Education with AI and Digital Technology: A Jamaican Explorative Vision’.

It was hosted to provide persons with information on AI and how it can be beneficial to children and parents.