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Caribbean Parliaments Explore Applying AI and Digital Solutions to Modernize Parliamentary Practice

September 13, 2026 | Activity

As artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies continue to reshape how institutions operate, parliaments are exploring new opportunities to manage information, support parliamentary work and strengthen citizen engagement. For the Caribbean, the challenge is not simply to adopt new technologies, but to build the digital foundations, human capacities and skills, and enable regional cooperation to ensure that AI tools respond to the priorities and realities of Caribbean parliaments.

These themes were at the centre of the Caribbean Modernization Workshop, held in Miami on September 12–13, 2026. Convened by ParlAmericas, the House Democracy Partnership and the POPVOX Foundation, the workshop brought together parliamentary staff from across the Caribbean to explore how AI and emerging technologies can strengthen parliamentary work and contribute to more effective and accessible parliamentary institutions.

The workshop continued a regional conversation that began in 2024, when Caribbean parliamentarians identified the modernization of internal parliamentary operations as an area where shared approaches and solutions could benefit parliaments across the region. This discussion contributed to the launch of the Digital Parliaments Project (DPP) by the POPVOX Foundation in January 2025. Since then, parliaments across the region have progressed at different stages of digital transformation, from managing paper-based archives to implementing fully digital workflows and experimenting with AI prototypes.

Against this backdrop, the workshop provided an opportunity to examine practical steps for advancing modernization across the region. Demonstrations of digital tools, including the AI-powered platform ParlLink, showcased approaches to digitizing, managing and preserving legislative documents, alongside considerations for cybersecurity and data-protection measures. Through facilitated discussions, participants shared experiences and lessons learnt from parliamentary digitization initiatives to AI tool design and adoption, highlighting the importance of data quality, technical infrastructure, and political will in advancing digital transformation.

The workshop also created spaces for practical learning and peer exchanges. Through a World Café, participants collaboratively developed practical approaches to AI policy, AI training, change management, digitization and transparency in parliament.

Peer learning discussions were complemented by practical exercises connecting emerging technologies with everyday parliamentary work. Participants mapped their workflows, identified shared challenges and explored potential technical solutions. Participants also took part in a live “vibe coding” session, developing working digital tools on their own, which demonstrated how AI can support the development of digital solutions tailored to parliamentary needs.

The meeting continued the work of ParlAmericas, the House Democracy Partnership and the POPVOX Foundation to strengthen legislative capacities and advance a shared regional effort to build more effective, transparent, innovative, and responsive parliamentary institutions.