Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than the world’s ability to understand and regulate it. As governments grapple with questions around safety, accountability and access, Barbados is preparing to bring the global conversation closer to the Caribbean.
On November 23, 2026, Barbados will host the Bridgetown Special Summit on AI Safety, welcoming government leaders, technology companies, scientists, civil society representatives and international organisations. The gathering will explore how countries can work together to manage emerging AI risks while ensuring the technology delivers benefits across societies.
The summit is expected to bring together Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, placing Barbados at the centre of an important international discussion about the future of artificial intelligence.
Making AI Safety a Global Priority
As AI systems become more powerful and widely adopted, the challenges surrounding their development are becoming increasingly complex. Countries need the ability to assess potential risks, prepare for emerging threats and establish effective governance frameworks.
These challenges are particularly significant for smaller and developing nations, which may not have the same technical resources or institutional capacity as larger economies. The summit will therefore examine issues including AI risk management, preparedness, inclusion, access to technology, capacity-building, and cultural and linguistic representation.
The objective is to ensure that countries are not simply responding to technological change, but have a meaningful role in shaping how AI develops.
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Connecting Science, Policy and International Cooperation
The Bridgetown summit will take place alongside the second in-person meeting of the United Nations’ Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. Bringing scientific expertise into discussions with policymakers and technology stakeholders will help explore practical approaches to evaluating AI risks and strengthening preparedness.
The conversations are also expected to contribute to the UN Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, scheduled for May 2027. Rather than seeking a single set of rules for every country, the discussions will explore how nations can develop compatible approaches while retaining flexibility in their own policy decisions.
Why Barbados Matters in the AI Conversation
For Barbados, hosting the summit represents an opportunity to give Caribbean perspectives a stronger voice in a debate that will shape economies, industries and societies around the world.
The decisions made about AI governance will influence not only technology companies and major economies, but also developing nations, businesses and communities that are still building their digital capabilities.
By bringing international leaders and experts to Bridgetown, Barbados is helping create space for a more inclusive conversation about how artificial intelligence should be developed, governed and made accessible.
As the world looks for ways to balance innovation with responsibility, the summit offers Barbados and the wider Caribbean an opportunity to help shape what comes next.
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