SVG selected for LAC AI 2026 Accelerator

The Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines has been selected to participate in the 2026 cohort of the Digital LAC AI Accelerator, a regional initiative led by the World Bank in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, Coursera, the Tony Blair Institute and NTT Data.

The selected use case, “One Stop Vincy Gov AI Concierge,” was submitted by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Information on behalf of Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Innovation, Digital Transformation and Information, Phillip Jackson.

The ministry explained in a release that ‘One Stop Vincy Gov AI Concierge’ is an AI-powered digital assistant designed to significantly reduce the need for in-person visits for routine administrative matters, benefiting citizens across both the mainland and the Grenadines.

The AI Concierge will process natural language queries in English to provide both general information and personalized service updates based on secure user identification. It will be accessible via mobile devices and other digital platforms, the release states.

Future enhancements will include voice and text interaction in Vincy Dialect, ensuring inclusivity for users with varying literacy levels and improving accessibility nationwide.

Minister Jackson is reported to have extended his heartiest congratulations to the public servants who successfully transformed his vision into a winning proposal among 59 applications in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“This is a powerful vote of confidence in our nation’s digital ambition and our commitment to placing innovation at the service of every Vincentian…,” he said.

“ This moment positions St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the forefront of public-sector AI among small island developing states. I thank the

World Bank team for their partnership and look forward to keeping the nation updated as we build a smarter, more connected Vincy future, together.”

The LAC AI Accelerator supports cross-functional teams in transforming innovative AI concepts into fully validated pilot projects. It places particular emphasis on “agentic AI” solutions. These are intelligent systems capable of autonomous decision-making and task execution, designed to enhance public service delivery.

The Accelerator will deliver a comprehensive package of support, including an assessment of organizational AI readiness and a roadmap for improvement. It will provide strategic advice and hands-on technical guidance during the pilot phase, as well as targeted training to build skills in AI, data governance, and ethics. Participants will also gain opportunities to share their work and connect with a wider network through regional and global platforms.

The LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee commended the Vincentian team for its strong proposal, highlighting the project’s potential to address fragmented public service delivery, and its innovative application of agentic AI.