Issue Theme
The second issue of JCAIS turns to the economic dimension of AI in the Caribbean. Caribbean economies are characterised by their smallness, openness, vulnerability to external shocks, and the structural importance of services — particularly tourism and finance. They also have large and economically significant diasporas and a substantial informal sector that conventional economic models inadequately represent.
Issue 2 asks: what does AI mean for Caribbean economic transformation? Not in the abstract, global sense — but specifically, practically, and at the scale of countries with populations of hundreds of thousands, financial systems with limited depth, and labour markets undergoing quiet structural shifts.
Each paper in this issue will report on the future as it is already arriving.
Anticipated Articles
The following represent the thematic scope of Issue 2. Actual articles are subject to peer review and editorial selection from submissions received.
Research examining how machine learning approaches to credit scoring — drawing on alternative data sources including mobile money transactions, utility payments, and business registration data — can expand credit access in Caribbean financial markets characterised by thin traditional credit files, limited bureau coverage, and risk-averse lending institutions.
Studies evaluating the application of AI-based tools for demand forecasting, inventory management, pricing optimisation, and customer analytics in Caribbean small and micro enterprises — including assessment of practical adoption barriers, data limitations, and the gap between available AI tools and SME operational realities.
Analysis of AI and automation exposure across Caribbean labour markets, with particular attention to the tourism, financial services, and public sectors. Research mapping occupation-level task profiles to automation risk and projecting near-term labour market impacts in economies with limited labour market flexibility and established patterns of migration as adjustment.
Research applying natural language processing and pattern recognition to diaspora investment flows, remittance corridors, and capital market signals relevant to Caribbean economies — including analysis of how predictive modelling can support development finance institutions in mobilising diaspora capital for productive investment.
Call for Papers
We welcome research articles, policy papers, and data notes addressing AI's role in Caribbean economic systems. Work must engage directly with the Caribbean context and meet JCAIS quality standards.
Submission Deadline
31 July 2026
Target Publication
September 2026