Representatives of Google’s Public Sector and Google for Education divisions on Monday met with officials of the Ministry of Housing and Water to discuss the possible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies as part of the ministry’s digitisation efforts.
According to a statement issued on the Facebook page of Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Vanessa Benn, the meeting was held at the ministry’s Brickdam office and included Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal, Benn, Permanent Secretary Bishram Kuppen, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Martin Pertab and the ministry’s ICT Manager Keith Fileen.
The statement said the meeting was initiated by Google during its visit to Guyana to familiarise itself with the ministry’s work and explore possible areas for collaboration. It added that the company is also meeting with other government ministries and agencies to discuss digital transformation, digital infrastructure and the use of AI.
Among the issues discussed were the possible use of Google’s AI tools to improve workflow and document management and support the ministry’s digital transformation initiatives. The statement said discussions also examined the potential application of AI-powered technologies in the housing sector while maintaining cybersecurity.
According to the statement, Croal told the meeting that the ministry is continuing to digitise its records and said technologies such as an integration layer could improve efficiency and service delivery.
Benn said the ministry has introduced a number of digital platforms to improve its operations, citing its Single Window System as one example.
The Google delegation comprised Mauro Miyake, Territory Sales Manager for the Public Sector, and Alejandro Almazan Zimerman, Head of Google for Education for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They were accompanied by Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Guyana Richard Leo and representatives of REAS Group, a Google Cloud and Workspace partner.
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