LocationsKey Takeways from the A.I. Symposium on Caribbean Arts & Heritage
Blending Art with Artificial Intelligence in the Caribbean
June 12, 2025
Barbados Government officials during the A.I. in Policy Ministerial Panel: (L-R) Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, Chief Education Officer; Senator John King, Special Advisor on Culture and Cultural Heritage, Division of Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office; and The Hon. Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, Minister with Responsibility for Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office.
UNDP/Anton Nixon
What are the implications of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) for the Caribbean's creative sector? And how are creatives, policymakers and others preparing for this shift?
These were key questions raised at the A.I. Symposium on Caribbean Arts & Heritage, recently hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, the Barbados Museum & Historical Society (BMHS) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
Guided by the International Museum Day 2025 theme of “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities", the A.I. Symposium featured dynamic panels of experts in policy, copyright law, Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), film and television, arts education, human rights, archaeology and more - all gathered to discuss how A.I. is disrupting the arts sector by highlighting both sides of the coin through engaging public dialogue.
Guests gather at the A.I. Symposium on Caribbean Arts & Heritage.
UNDP/Anton Nixon
Through six thematic panels, the A.I. Symposium on Caribbean Arts & Heritage explored how the region’s creative sector is intersecting with A.I., a subject that is shaping discussions among school boards, production crews, libraries and artists alike. The live conversations with subject matter experts revealed a complex environment with challenges and opportunities ahead, many of which clustered around the following key themes that emerged for consideration:
The Double-Edged Sword of A.I.
Several panelists noted the many benefits that A.I. can bring to the Orange Economy in the Caribbean, including democratizing access to cultural heritage, enhancing arts education capacities and opening new markets for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Many of these positive shifts are already being seen, even if on a small scale. On the flipside, numerous risks were noted - with the potential for A.I. to exacerbate inequalities, further entrench biases, and threaten cultural diversity. From a security standpoint, ethical concerns around data use, privacy, and intellectual property were frequently raised. This resulted in a double-edged sword dynamic requiring proper stewardship to ensure the safe usage of A.I. for creative purposes.
2. Ethics, Equity and Human Rights
Many emphasized that any application of A.I. in the arts sector should be firmly rooted in an ethical framework based on human dignity, cultural specificity, and inclusivity. This included calls for a transparent, fair and rights-based approach to A.I. regulation. Additionally, given that A.I. tools are often consumed rather than produced in the Caribbean, it was recognized that A.I. must be anchored in local values rather than those imported externally from global tech hubs. This reflects the reality that dominant A.I. systems typically include Western biases and exclude Caribbean perspectives. As such, there is a need to train A.I. on regional data while also making efforts to protect that data from misuse.
3. Governance Gaps and the Demand for Regional Strategy
In Barbados and among the wider Caribbean, A.I. policies are under development, especially when it comes to the creative industries where issues such as deepfakes, voice cloning and unauthorized use of likenesses are prevalent. In this process, there is the distinct challenge of keeping up with the fast speed of A.I. technologies, which are constantly evolving. To address this nascent governance field, regional collaboration was recommended with emphasis on solutions co-designed with grassroots communities, artists, technologists and policymakers alongside institutions such as UNDP, BMHS and ICOM as key partners. This Caribbean-wide approach could together address A.I. policy, digital infrastructure and cultural preservation.
4. A.I. and the Orange Economy
The Orange Economy, encompassing economic activities derived from creativity, culture and innovation, is home to specific complexities when it comes to A.I., such as the requirement for protection of intellectual property in music, film, and literature. Several artists underscored the importance of understanding digital ownership, authorship and authentication in the age of A.I., resulting in a strong demand for digital rights and policies that prioritize creators. Additionally, fair compensation for creatives was mentioned and tied to the devaluation of art forms that could occur through A.I., as well as the risks of job displacement posed by emerging tools in graphic design, sound production and editing.
5. Education and Digital Capacity Building
The Government of Barbados is integrating digital capacity-building efforts into the classroom, seen in coding, digital literacy and civics in the curriculum. These efforts are ultimately preparing students for a future deeply impacted by A.I. At the same time, arts education is focusing on critical thinking, responsible technology use and empowering youth to be active creators rather than passive consumers. This also connects to instilling a sense of integrity and ownership among art producers in the A.I. landscape.
6. A.I. and Heritage Preservation
Globally in the heritage field, A.I. is being used to digitize heritage-based archives, enhance metadata creation and support conservation. The digitization of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), which includes language, rituals, crafts and oral traditions, is a bit more complex, however, as these elements are harder to digitize and protect. Panelists found that A.I. can help document ICH, but that the fundamentals of trust, consent and cultural sensitivity must be established first. To best future-proof these efforts, the significance of open-source tools, distributed storage and non-proprietary formats for sustainability purposes were voiced.
7. Gender, LGBTQIA+ Rights & Digital Safety
Depending on its use, A.I. can amplify marginalized voices or reinforce systemic biases, thus necessitating a stringent approach to regulation and oversight. Concerns around automated harassment, surveillance, and data exploitation were raised. To mitigate these potential pitfalls, panelists recommended intersectionality, community-led safeguards and inclusive data practices in A.I.
8. A.I. in Archaeology & Heritage Preservation
In archaeology, history is meeting modern technology through applications of A.I. to geophysical surveys, predictive modeling and 3D reconstructions of archaeological sites. This presents valuable inroads to repatriation, education, and cultural storytelling. Still, worries about data ownership, community consent and digital colonialism were expressed as worthy of greater attention and investigation.
9. Call to Action: Local Innovation & Collaboration
Resoundingly heard throughout the panels was a call for the Caribbean to get involved in developing its own A.I. tools while training local talent and shaping global technology narratives. To do so, a push was made for collaboration across sectors, merging government, academia, civil society and creatives together. Overall, A.I. was deemed a transformative opportunity if approached with care, equity, and strategic vision.
To watch the A.I. Symposium on Caribbean Arts & Heritage, please view the morning recording and afternoon recording.