ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - Antigua and Barbuda Education Minister, Daryll Matthew, has told graduating Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) students here that they should not fear artificial intelligence (AI)
Education Minister, Daryll Matthew, addressing the CSEC ceremony on Thursday.“We are standing in the eye of a technological storm. Artificial Intelligence, once the stuff of science fiction, is now shaping how we work, how we learn, how we live,” Mathew told this year’s CSEC awardees at a ceremony here on Thursday night.
“AI is now writing books, diagnosing diseases, composing symphonies, and passing exams. Jobs that once felt secure, like travel agents, bank tellers, legal assistants and data entry clerks, are vanishing or being transformed beyond recognition,” he said.
Mathew told the ceremony that some of the careers that young people may have dreamed of when they entered secondary school, may not even exist five years from now, adding that could be frightening.
But he said despite these developments, young people should not be fearful and lose hope and should look forward to the future with much hope.
“But hear me when I say this, do not fear the change. Because it is not here to replace you. Because while machines can compute, they cannot create with compassion. While AI can write code, it cannot feel purpose. And while technology can simulate emotion, it cannot love, serve, or lead with integrity,” he said.
The Barbados-based Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), which administers the CSEC exams, said in April that with nearly 70 per cent of its member states lacking a formal policy on AI in education, it has developed a regional policy framework to help guide governments in creating and strengthening their own strategies.
“CXC is not involved in the development of AI policy at the national level, but we provide sound guidance and support to member states so that they can do it responsibly, as they work to implement responsible generative AI policy,” Dr Eduardo Ali, Pro-Registrar and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of CXC, said then
Mathew congratulated this year’s CSEC awardees for completing their secondary school examinations despite having started their education during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“You are the survivors of a global upheaval. You are the cohort, the young men and women who started their secondary education journey amidst a world locked down in fear, uncertainty and isolation. While other generations had the luxury of normalcy, yours began in front of a computer screen, navigating school through the fog of a pandemic,” he said.
The annual CSEC prize-giving ceremony is sponsored by ACB Caribbean bank and its representative, Efiah Charlemagne-Norbert said that the financial institution believes in investing in young people.
“Today is a celebration of your hard work, your resilience, and your commitment to excellence. You have faced challenges, adapted to change and grown in ways you may not even realize yet.
“Whether you are heading off to university, entering the workforce, or exploring new paths, know this – your journey is just beginning, and your potential is limitless,” she added.
The Student of the Year Award went to Uchenna Ohaegbulam of the St. Joseph’s Academy, who also won the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence. Ohaegbulam wrote 23 CSEC subjects graduating with 21 Grade Ones and two Grade Two’s.
