Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, Senator Dominic Smith, says T&T’s decision to join OpenAI’s Education for Countries initiative positions the nation to actively shape the global future of artificial intelligence, rather than remain a passive consumer of imported technologies.
The partnership, announced by the Ministry last week, places T&T among the initiative’s early adopters, standing alongside countries such as Estonia and the United Arab Emirates.
Under the programme, T&T will collaborate with OpenAI to modernise its education and workforce-development systems, with plans to introduce AI-powered tools in classrooms through the Ministry of Education.
Minister Smith noted that early adoption is essential, pointing to global research showing that a significant share of today’s jobs will either evolve or disappear within the next decade.
“We can either be prepared for that change or sit on the sidelines and not be participants in that economy. We don’t want that for our future generation. The education component is very important.”
Government officials say the initiative will also help modernise the public service by automating routine tasks, freeing staff to focus on higher-value work and delivering long-term savings across the sector.
Minister Smith added that the Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence was designed to drive this shift, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and strengthening the nation’s human-capital capacity.
“With AI and advanced technology emerging globally, not only as a buzz concept but as a practical philosophy, we thought it necessary, and through the leadership of the Prime Minister, to modernise the public service and advance modern technology in the same vein. So the combination really is a natural fit.”
Alongside the OpenAI partnership, the Ministry has also begun national AI readiness and risk assessments, supported by United Nations agencies, to guide the responsible and ethical roll-out of artificial intelligence across the country.