Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information and Public Affairs Kwame McCoy has urged the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) to develop a regional framework governing the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism and broadcasting, amid growing concerns about misinformation, synthetic media and the erosion of public trust.
McCoy made the call while addressing the opening of the CBU’s 57th Annual General Assembly, where broadcasters, journalists, regulators, academics and other media professionals from across the Caribbean and beyond gathered to examine the impact of AI on the region’s media landscape.
He said the rapid development of AI is transforming newsroom operations, including research, translation, archiving, audience engagement, content production and distribution.
However, McCoy warned that synthetic media can place fabricated voices, images and videos into the public domain and influence public opinion before accurate information has an opportunity to reach the public.
“The Caribbean therefore faces a defining question: will we simply consume an AI-driven communications order designed, governed and monetised elsewhere, or will we summon the confidence, the capacity, investment, regulatory foresight and political will to help shape that order ourselves?” McCoy said.
He argued that the issue extends beyond technology and encompasses sovereignty, data ownership, control of digital platforms, algorithmic design, access to metadata, commercial benefits from Caribbean content and, fundamentally, the authority to tell the Caribbean story.
“Communication shapes national consciousness, frames political debate, influences public policy and builds public trust,” he said, adding that during national emergencies, credible communication can determine whether citizens respond to verified information or to rumours, panic and misinformation.
McCoy said Caribbean broadcasters are now operating in an information environment populated by global platforms, influencers, content farms, automated accounts, anonymous pages, AI-generated personalities and algorithms designed to capture attention and provoke emotions.
He described trust as “the most valuable currency” in the media landscape, stressing the importance of credibility and professional journalism as AI becomes increasingly integrated into information production.
At the same time, McCoy acknowledged the opportunities created by the democratisation of information, noting that a young person with a smartphone in Georgetown, Kingston or Bridgetown can communicate with a global audience almost instantaneously.
He said communities can tell their own stories, governments can engage citizens directly, businesses can reach new markets and Caribbean creativity can gain greater international exposure.
But he warned that the same technology can enable malicious actors to manufacture convincing falsehoods, circulate fabricated photographs, impersonate ministers and journalists through AI-generated recordings and publish fabricated headlines carrying the branding of reputable media organisations.
“We’ve seen it all. Every one of us here, I’m sure, has had the experience,” McCoy said.
He called for media literacy, verification, professional journalism and public-interest broadcasting to remain firmly embedded in the region’s democratic infrastructure.
Rapid economic
McCoy also pointed to Guyana’s rapid economic and technological transformation, noting investments in roads, bridges, housing, healthcare, education, telecommunications and digital connectivity.
Development, he said, must not only be constructed for citizens but also understood, communicated and owned by the people it serves.
“A bridge is a physical infrastructure. A fibre network is a digital infrastructure. A school is an education infrastructure. However, the ability of citizens to understand public policy, access accurate information, interrogate decisions and distinguish fact from fiction is our communications infrastructure,” he said.
He said the modern journalist must now be equipped with skills in data journalism, digital verification, metadata, geolocation and synthetic-media detection.
“The profession has changed and our institutions must move with it,” McCoy said.
While advocating the adoption of AI, he cautioned that its use must be guided by context, clear standards and sound judgment.
AI, he said, can assist newsrooms by transcribing interviews, analysing documents, translating content, identifying patterns, improving accessibility and searching archives, allowing smaller newsrooms to achieve efficiencies previously available mainly to larger organisations.
However, he stressed that human judgment must remain at the centre of journalism.
“Civic responsibility, institutional memory, the history beneath our community conflict, and the nuances of our dialects, our cultures and the political experiences all require human understanding,” McCoy said.
He urged the CBU to pursue a stronger regional verification and fact-checking architecture, arguing that misinformation can cross borders and digital platforms within minutes and therefore requires a coordinated regional response.
McCoy also called for the digitisation and preservation of Caribbean archives, saying the region’s history, dialects, culture and broadcasting heritage should form part of the datasets shaping future AI systems.
He further urged the CBU to develop clear standards covering AI disclosure, synthetic content, source protection, AI-assisted reporting and newsroom accountability.
Every broadcaster, he said, should make AI literacy, verification and cybersecurity basic newsroom competencies.
McCoy challenged delegates to ensure that the conference produces practical outcomes, rather than allowing discussions about AI to remain theoretical.
“I charge every one of you to return to your institution and move one element of this conversation from theory to implementation,” he said.
He suggested that institutions could develop an AI policy, conduct training, update editorial codes, establish verification desks or strengthen their archives.
“Do something measurable because technology change will keep moving rapidly,” he urged.
McCoy said the Caribbean possesses the creativity and intellectual capacity to take advantage of AI while protecting its interests.
“The Caribbean Broadcasting Union, drawing on 57 years of institutional experience and the collective strength represented in this room today, can help us, our region, to create influence and lead within this new global information order,” he said.
“That is the opportunity before us today, and that must be our ambition.”
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