Guyana’s Himanshi Kumar has been named Best Speaker at the 19th Regional Youth Parliament, earning recognition for the strength of her arguments and presentation during a debate on artificial intelligence and its implications for the Caribbean.
Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir provided the update, highlighting Kumar’s achievement following the virtual sitting held on Thursday.
Kumar, who assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition, challenged the premise that foreign development and ownership of artificial intelligence technologies pose a threat to Caribbean sovereignty.
She argued that the region’s priority should be building the laws, institutions and regional mechanisms necessary to regulate AI, rather than focusing solely on foreign ownership of the technology.
Kumar referenced the European Union’s regulatory framework, including the “Brussels Effect,” the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and the General Data Protection Regulation, to demonstrate how governments can influence the operations of multinational technology companies through regulation.
She also highlighted the UNESCO Caribbean AI Policy Roadmap 2024 and CARICOM’s digital resilience initiatives as examples of regional efforts to navigate technological advancement while maintaining regulatory authority.
Kumar further warned that the misuse of AI by governments and other powerful actors could pose a significant democratic risk, particularly in relation to surveillance, algorithms and citizens’ data.
Her performance earned praise from the judging panel, which included Bermuda MP Jarion C. Richardson, Jamaican debater Germaine Barrett and Jamaican law student Jordaina Denton.
The Youth Parliament formed part of the 48th Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
It was held under the broader theme, “Strengthening Parliaments in the Digital Age.” This year’s sitting focused on “Youth Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
