For years, the Tobago House of Assembly has spoken about its commitment to advancing digitisation, but what does that vision actually look like in practice?
With artificial intelligence evolving rapidly, there are concerns that small islands like Tobago could be left behind. The Tobago House of Assembly, however, is looking to ensure Tobago is prepared for an AI-driven future.
At an AI Symposium hosted by Tobago Information Technology Limited (TITL), officials unveiled aspects of the Assembly’s plans to modernise public services and integrate emerging technologies into government operations.
Technical Advisor for Digitisation and AI Adoption in the Office of the Chief Secretary, Joshua Powder, says innovation alone will not be enough, stressing that connectivity must be at the heart of Tobago’s digital transformation.
“We can innovate rapidly, 100%, we can use the tools, we can code, we can come up with solutions, we can aspire to change Tobago from a digital perspective, but we need to do so from a connected standpoint because if we don’t, we will absolutely fail.”
Mr Powder explained that the digital exchange layer will be developed in three parts. The first will be the establishment of a Tobago ID, a database of the basic records of each resident on the island.
“You are then assigned an alpha-numerical code that is associated with you. And so every government service that you interface with, you provide them with this ID. And this is not AI, this is just logic.”
He stated that this eliminates the need to present paper documents to access government services every time these services are needed.
The second part will be the creation of a Service Tobago platform, similar to iGovTT, but specific to services from the THA and the island’s private sector.
“Service Tobago is now a platform or an ecosystem, so to speak, that allows you to access all those government services in one place. Furthermore, it’s connected to Tobago ID, allowing you to instantaneously verify yourself with one alpha-numerical code.”
With all services under one platform, Mr Powder stated that an AI-powered system called ‘Atlas’ would be used to analyse data.
“It helps government see the entire picture. It helps Tobago develop what I call an island intelligence. And it doesn’t simply show us what happened, it helps us understand what is happening, why it matters, and what Tobago should actually do next. It helps us find out where people are asking for support.”
He explained that this system will assist the government in understanding what public services are working, what new businesses are emerging, and what areas need more resources.