The Caribbean has spent decades importing technology.
AI presents a different possibility.
A regional AI investor recently argued that Caribbean and African markets remain overlooked despite several advantages: an English-speaking workforce, proximity to the United States, strong diaspora connections, and fewer legacy systems slowing adoption.
The challenge is where the value goes.
Today, many AI tools used by Caribbean businesses are built outside the region. Companies gain efficiency, but much of the economic value flows back to foreign technology providers.
That creates an opening.
The Caribbean does not need to build another general-purpose AI model competing with Silicon Valley.
The opportunity is building tools designed around problems that global companies often overlook.
A tourism operator needs technology built around Caribbean travel patterns. A farmer needs solutions that understand regional conditions. A financial institution needs systems designed around local markets.
Those are problems waiting for founders who understand the region.
Smaller markets are often dismissed as disadvantages.
In emerging industries, they can become testing grounds.
The question is whether Caribbean entrepreneurs will become customers of AI or creators within the AI economy.
The difference is ownership.
Founder Take: Caribbean founders have an opportunity to build AI solutions around regional challenges and capture value that currently leaves the market.
Stephen Stanberry
