Antigua and Barbuda
This profile summarises the Key Insights arising from the completion of the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) for Antigua and Barbuda, provides context through the Country Landscape.
Antigua and Barbuda's RAM data and Country Report are publicly available and can be downloaded below.
Key Insights
Antigua and Barbuda, currently at a pivotal early stage of AI development, has laid a foundational roadmap for ethical and responsible AI adoption through its implementation of UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM).
While the country has yet to adopt a national AI strategy, the government has shown strong political will by appointing an AI policy focal point within the ministry and digitizing public services by 2030. Also, Antigua and Barbuda is actively engaging in regional AI initiatives such as the Commonwealth AI Consortium and working in collaboration with the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and UNESCO.
- The RAM found that Antigua and Barbuda’s strongest dimension is transparency and legal openness. The country ranks 20th globally in the Right to Information Index, outperforming many major AI economies, and demonstrates a firm constitutional commitment to human rights, due process and freedom of information. These strengths position Antigua and Barbuda as a regional leader in institutional openness, offering a unique advantage for building public trust in digital transformation and future AI systems.
- The gaps lie across dimensions but so do the opportunities for growth. While Antigua and Barbuda has a Data Protection Act (2013) and an Electronic Crimes Act, there is opportunity to modernize these frameworks to address AI-specific challenges, including the need for impact assessments for high-risk applications and standards for ethical AI procurement. Similarly, there is significant potential to strengthen AI-related research and innovation by enhancing data collection on research output, government R&D investment, and local intellectual property development in emerging technologies.
- In terms of technical infrastructure, Antigua and Barbuda performs well in access with 100% electricity coverage, 201% mobile penetration. To fully leverage this infrastructure, it is imperative for the country to ensure the affordability of broadband services for everyone and enhance cybersecurity frameworks, as the country currently ranks in Tier 5 on the ITU’s 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index, the lowest in the Americas.
- Antigua and Barbuda shows early signs of digital economic growth, with rising e-commerce activity and private sector experimentation with AI. To build on this progress, the country could benefit from developing a national strategy to address AI’s labor market impact, supported by improved data collection on AI-related skills, job demand, and economic contribution. Strengthening local AI development, boosting high-tech exports, and deepening private sector engagement in policymaking will be key steps to unlock AI’s full economic potential.
- There is promising progress in education, such as robotics initiatives and a minor in Applied Data Science at the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus. Taking this step further, there is an opportunity to develop a national curriculum strategy for AI, expand access to AI ethics courses for the public, and enhance data collection on ICT graduates and AI talent. Efforts to promote gender equality in STEM can also be strengthened by addressing cultural biases and encouraging women participation in AI-related fields.
- To address these challenges, the RAM recommends Antigua and Barbuda develop a national AI strategy, establish a dedicated AI governance unit, and align AI regulation and laws with ongoing digital transformation efforts. Investments in digital skills training, AI ethics education, and R&D infrastructure are critical to ensure that AI development is equitable, inclusive, and sustainable.
Country Landscape
AI systems shape and are shaped by a socio-technical landscape of institutions, geographies, and cultural contexts. Therefore, to better understand the environment of the design, development, and deployment of AI systems within countries, it is critical to view these processes with a lens towards the country as a whole.
The share of population with access to electricity is calculated by the World Bank and displayed by Our World in Data. The World Bank defines access to electricity as 'having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours a day'. 
This data was last reported as 100% for Antigua and Barbuda in 2023.
The share of the population using the internet is compiled by the ITU.
Last documented in 2023, they reported 73% of the population as using the internet in Antigua and Barbuda.
The World Bank scores countries on various statistical performance indicators including data infrastructure. This score 'measures the hard and soft infrastructure segments, itemizing essential cross-cutting requirements for an effective statistical system'. The score is based on a range of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best score. 
As of 2023, Antigua and Barbuda scored 45.0 in this dimension.