GREAT BAY--Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina presented Government’s proposed direction for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in St. Maarten during Parliament, outlining a framework intended to improve public services while protecting residents’ rights, personal information and access to human assistance. He told Parliament that the usefulness of technology should ultimately be measured by the everyday experience of the people Government serves, including whether residents receive timely responses, accurate information and proper handling of applications.
Mercelina said artificial intelligence is already becoming part of everyday working life and can assist civil servants with tasks such as preparing drafts, locating information and reducing the amount of time spent on routine administrative work. If used carefully, he said, AI could give public servants more time to assist residents directly and address matters that require professional judgment and human expertise, rather than spending significant amounts of time on repetitive tasks.
At the same time, the Prime Minister cautioned that AI creates risks that Government must address before expanding its use across the public service. He noted that AI systems can produce inaccurate information with apparent confidence, reflect bias, expose sensitive information or generate recommendations that do not adequately consider a person’s circumstances. In a public-service environment, he said, those shortcomings can have real consequences for residents, particularly when Government decisions affect rights, services or important applications.
Mercelina said this is why Government requires clear rules governing the use of AI. At the center of the proposed policy is the principle that an authorized public official must remain responsible for decisions affecting people’s rights or their access to Government services. The official responsible for a decision must be able to question, review and reject an AI recommendation where necessary, with accountability remaining with Government rather than being transferred to technology.
The proposed framework also places emphasis on transparency and access to human review. Mercelina said residents should know when artificial intelligence is supporting a public service and should continue to have access to a person when assistance is required. Residents should also be able to request meaningful human review of an outcome where AI has played a role, safeguards the Prime Minister said are important for maintaining public confidence.
The framework further proposes safeguards covering privacy, security, fairness and transparency, while establishing responsibilities across Government. For applications considered to carry greater risk, Government is proposing that the existing Enterprise Architecture Review Board provide oversight, supported by ICT, legal and privacy expertise as well as the ministry responsible for the particular service.
Mercelina said the proposed policy recognizes that different uses of artificial intelligence carry different levels of risk and therefore cannot all be treated in the same manner. Using AI to assist with the preparation of a draft public information document, for example, would require a different level of oversight from using AI to support a recommendation involving a permit, Government benefit or education matter. The level of scrutiny, he said, should correspond with the possible consequences for the person affected.
Government is therefore proposing a gradual approach to the introduction of AI within the public administration. Rather than immediately expanding the technology across Government, Mercelina said the intention is to begin with small, supervised trials that have clearly assigned responsibilities and measurable results. Any wider use would then require a separate assessment and approval process, allowing Government to determine whether the technology improves a service and whether the safeguards put in place are working as intended.
The Prime Minister also addressed the possible use of artificial intelligence in education, saying the technology may support teachers and learners but must be introduced carefully. He said any use in education must protect students’ information and preserve the responsibility of educators, adding that appropriate guidance and training will be important as the country develops its approach to the technology.
Mercelina stressed that the framework presented to Parliament remains a proposed policy and is still subject to formal approval by the Council of Ministers. He said the parliamentary discussion gives Members of Parliament an opportunity to examine Government’s proposed approach and provide feedback on the protections, priorities and public accountability arrangements being considered before a final policy is adopted.
The Prime Minister welcomed that input, saying questions raised during the parliamentary discussion can help Government shape an approach that responds to St. Maarten’s circumstances and earns the confidence of the public. He also thanked Head of ICT Femi Badejo and the Government ICT Department for their work in preparing the proposal and assisting Government as it considers how artificial intelligence should be used within the public sector.
Mercelina said Government’s objective is not simply to introduce new technology for its own sake, but to determine how AI can contribute to better public services without weakening accountability or the rights of residents. He said every person interacting with Government should continue to receive fair treatment, understandable explanations and access to human assistance, even as new technology becomes more widely used.
