What are important ethical principles that should be implemented to protect users in the metaverse and other digital spaces? Jamaican social enterprise, Youth Can Do IT (YCDI), in collaboration with Jesus College (Oxford), developed some ethical guidelines for the metaverse. In this episode, we chat with members of YCDI Joel Lawson, one of the youths who participated in the ethical guidelines design process, Cherika Wilson, the Head of People Operations, and Christopher Derrell, the Chief...

https://bit.ly/4fnDxaKTo the outsider, the internet-related issues that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is addressing can seem intimidating. But individuals, micro or small businesses, among others, are part of the end-user constituency and are critical players in ICANN’s policy development process. In our latest conversation with Albert Daniels, the Senior Manager for Stakeholder Engagement for the Caribbean, we discuss some of the latest developments in the...

In this podcast episode, our host, Michele Marius, is alone – no guests – and sharing her thoughts on a recent article published in the New York Times in which the writer allowed AI to make all of her decisions for a week. The article sent Michele down a rabbit hole (of sorts) and had her ponder whether, in the context of AI, we could have too much of a good thing.   The episode, show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found on the ICT Pulse Podcast...

In our October 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Debbie Jollie, the Stammering Communicator who is based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Technology Architect and Digital Transformation Consultant, Garfield Gordon, of Jamaica, the panel discusses:    *  our continuing vulnerability to cyberattacks;   *  ESG versus CSR and the effects on ICT; and   *  Caribbean consultants becoming true digital nomads.   The episode, show notes and links to some of the...

Globally, offshore outsourcing is a huge market and growing. By 2030, it is expected to be valued at half a trillion dollars! It is thus highly dynamic and competitive with Caribbean countries trying to maintain and even increase their size of pie. Wayne Sinclair, the current President of the Global Services Association of Jamaica, formerly the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica, joins us to discuss the state of the industry, including:   *  whether Jamaica’s outsourcing...

Although we have all played video games, video games developed by Caribbean developers appear to have little or no visibility. Moreover, there is no video game development industry in the region to speak of, and the underpinning ecosystem remains underdeveloped. However, by 2023, the size of the global video games industry is expected by valued at half a trillion US Dollars! We circle back to a 2021 conversation we had with video game developers, Glen Henry, of Spritewrench Studios, and...

Almost without exception, all Caribbean countries are net importers of technology, especially ICT. In other words, we import considerably more of the ICT goods and services we use than we export. With Vashti Maharaj, the Adviser, Digital Trade Policy, of the Commonwealth Secretariat, we discuss technology as an export and how Caribbean countries can better develop this increasingly crucial aspect of their economy. Some of the areas covered include:   *  defining the concept of technology as...

According to the research and advisory firm, Forrester, the global digital economy will reach USD 16.5 trillion and capture 17 per cent of global GDP by 2028, but how is the Caribbean region’s digital economy developing? Management Consultant and International Trade Policy Specialist, Chelceé Brathwaite, returns to the Podcast to provide an update. She discusses among other things:    *  the changes or developments that have occurred regarding the concept of the digital economy since our...

In our September 2024 Community Chat, and with a member of the Caribbean tech community, Steven Williams of Data Privacy and Management Advisory Services in Barbados, we discuss:    *  Can effective cybercrime laws not encroach on freedom of expression?   *  Job displacement: has AI already begun reshaping the Caribbean economy?   *  Is increased digitisation and online learning what we need to improve student learning and the Caribbean education system?   The episode, show notes and...

Whether we realise it or not, data centres are the backbone of our online experience. All the digital services we enjoy use data centres to store, manage and process all of the data, interactions and transactions generated. Giovanni King, the CEO of Blue NAP Americas and the Chairman of the Caribbean Datacenter Association discusses, among other things:    *  the kind of services or facilities typically offered at a data centre;     *  the current demand for data centres in the Caribbean...

In the fourth instalment in our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2024, cybersecurity expert, David Gittens, discusses, among other things:   *  the latest developments in the security space;   *  why there ought to be a greater emphasis on cybersecurity guidelines in the Caribbean;   *  why ransomware is the most pressing threat; and   *  why organisations need to invest more in risk assessment.   The episode, show notes and links to some of the things mentioned...

Do you have what it takes to be a digital nomad? We revisit a 2022 conversation we had with the following intrepid travellers: Juleen Gentles, who is from Jamaica, but spoke with us from Ghana; Marsiya Issah who is from Ghana, but had been living in Barbados; and Andres Phillips, who is from Barbados, but had recently ended a 10-month stint in Colombia and Mexico. During the episode, Andres, Juleen and Marsiya share:   *  their journey to becoming digital nomads and some of their...

In our rapidly changing world, the classroom is critical in preparing upcoming generations for the life and work environment they will face in the future. Academic, former Minister for Education and international Consultant, Dr Gale Rigobert, shares her thoughts on, among other things:     *  the education system in the English-speaking Caribbean and how it has evolved;   *  whether the brain drain the region experiences is a problem with our education system; and   *  how technology can...

In our August 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Nima Anvar, Hotelier and Chief Executive Officer of conversational AI platform GuestChat in Grenada, and Max Larson Henry, Network Engineer and Founder of the tech company, Transversal, which is based in the United States and Haiti, the panel discusses:   *  Community internet networks;   *  the recently launched Eastern Caribbean Association of Science and Technology; and   *  can Caribbean online...

Starting on 21 August 2024, we are just days away from the 20th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum, the longest-running Internet Governance Forum in the world! With Nigel Cassimire, the Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and Coordinator of the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF), we get an update on the Internet Governance space and the CIGF.  During our conversation with Nigel, he shared:   *  how Internet Governance and the conversations on IG have...

Agriculture is the bedrock of our societies and our ability to feed ourselves. However, with difficult terrain, climate change and more resilient pests to name just a few of the challenges that plague that sector, having ready access to accurate and relevant crop-related information could be a game changer for farmers everywhere. In this episode, Dr Haimwant Persaud of Latitude Geospatial Consulting discusses his mobile application, Latitude Sat2Farm, including:   *  how it works and the...

Across the Caribbean region, most countries are embarking on projects to implement a digital ID system. Although there are considerable national benefits to doing so, improving and increasing citizens’ access such as a broad range of services, digital IDs is a complex exercise. We revisit a 2022 interview with Trevor Forrest, of 876 Solutions on the subject, where we discuss:     *  Why is it becoming increasingly important to have a digital ID?    *  What are the benefits of having a...

In our July 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Tessa Drayton, a Brand Communication and Reputation Management Specialist based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Rodney Browne, the Founder of eCaribbean Limited in Saint Kitts and Nevis, the panel discusses:    *  With increasing tech-related regulation, how can organisations better manage risk?    *  In an age of technology and AI is the Admin Assistant role becoming obsolete?     *  And, the role of technology...

Regulatory technology (or regtech) is expected to be worth over USD 87 billion by 2028, but it is an underdeveloped fintech segment in the Caribbean region. However, as regulatory oversight increases in areas such as cybersecurity and data protection, increasingly, regtech will not be limited to the banking and fintech sectors. Circling back to a 2022 episode, regtech expert, Jennifer Potter, gives us a primer on regtech, and discusses, among other things:     *  the other industries,...

In our third instalment of the series, The internet we should want in 2024 and beyond, Matthew Cowen of dgtlfutures, shares his thoughts on the subject. Though the topic is broad, our conversation touches on, among other things:   *  social media;   *  the state of advertising on the Internet;   *  major trends or technological advancements that are shaping the internet today; and   *  current and emerging challenges regarding the internet of which we should be more aware.   The...

In the third instalment in our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security for 2024, and with Edward Millington of CariSec Global, he discusses, among other things:   *  the latest developments in the security space;   *  the relationship between the data protection and cybercrime frameworks;   *  some of the reasons why the Barbados House of Assembly sent the country's Cybercrime Bill 2024 back to the Joint Select Committee for review and amendment;    *  the use of AI to...

The readiness of businesses to operate with a ‘digital-first’ posture has become critical as we all strive to compete and remain relevant in an increasingly global marketplace. With Nadeen Matthews Blair, of Crescent Advisory Group, we discuss the results of the latest Caribbean Digital Readiness Survey conducted by PwC, including:   *  what it means to be a ‘digital champion’;   *  Nadeen’s observations on AI’s use in business;   *  why organisations might have an improving digital IQ but...

In the Caribbean region, small-scale farming is the backbone of our agriculture sector, but often, it is difficult for farmers to access funding that would be open to ventures in other sectors.  FarmCredibly has been working on addressing such challenges by providing simplified financial services to underbanked farmers in Jamaica. In a follow-up conversation with one of its Co-Founders, Danelia Doyle, we discuss, among other things:    *  how FarmCredibly has evolved since our first...

In our June 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Aldin Crosdale, an IT Internal Auditor in Jamaica and the Community Manager for the Jamaican Developers Community/Caribbean Tech Connect, and Halle Johnson (Mr.), a Systems Administrator at the University of The West Indies Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, the panel discusses:    *  How do we ready our workforce for the coming changes that AI will bring?   *  Challenges in selling and producing...