The Time to Tap In is Now, But Here’s How to do so Consciously

Technology is moving fast, and Belize cannot afford to stand still. At the Digital Leadership Conference, experts warned that artificial intelligence will transform work, and businesses must act now to keep up.

A recent study shows that out of 424,000 people in Belize, over 300,000 are online. Dr Dionne Chamberlain, Managing Director of Chamberlain Consulting Limited, said, “AI will take over 70 million jobs by the end of 2026; however, it is going to create over 300 million jobs by the end of 2026.”

She said this reflects a “net gain of 90 million jobs. So it means that we have to change what we are doing.”

Meanwhile, Maynor Larrieu, Managing Director at Avant Garde, said Belize is still in the early stages of AI adoption.

The impact of AI is already being felt in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, which employs over 20,000 Belizeans. Christian Junior, CEO of Rhics UK, said, “If you train your people effectively, you will not be scared of AI; rather, you will open your arms to it.”

Sonia Ceballos, Managing Director at Socias Limited, explained that AI helps small businesses optimise repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on growth.

The conference focused on the urgent need for early ICT education, continuous upskilling, and digital investment.

On one hand, AI is rapidly reshaping the world, bettering existing systems, and exploding businesses in some cases, but experts are also warning of its effects on our planet.

Do the positives of using AI outweigh the negatives? If you didn’t know, AI requires huge amounts of electricity and water to run. Like, a lot!

We’re talking about millions of gallons of water for cooling systems needed to keep the technology from overheating. That’s a high price tag on one of our planet’s most valuable resources.

According to the Weather Channel, Susannah Hill, a sustainable computing consultant, says that the use of water is the biggest concern: “These new AI data centres draw a million gallons of water a day and evaporate it. They don’t return it to the sewer system, so it’s not a sustainable use of water.”

Did it make you think twice about using it now? If so, Hill put it simply: “The good news is that it’s a problem each of us has a role to play in.”

How can you do your part?

As an AI user, you can dramatically limit your own carbon footprint by using chatbots discerningly, saving your answers and avoiding repeated questions. You can also take advantage of offline features, steer clear of AI-generated images or videos, and advocate for more sustainable computing and AI practices, starting from personal use to even when applying it at work.