As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes global economies, Guyana faces a defining question: will expanded access to technology democratise opportunity, or deepen inequality? That is the central concern raised by Dr. Karen Abrams, founder and Executive Director of STEMGuyana, in an opinion piece recently published in Kaieteur News.
Dr. Abrams, an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) technology who holds a doctorate in education administration, grounds her analysis in both global trends and local realities, warning that while AI is lowering barriers to entry, it is simultaneously raising the stakes for who ultimately succeeds.
“There was a time when knowledge itself created advantage,” Abrams writes, noting that education, technical skill, and access to information once clearly separated individuals in the labour market. That distinction, she argues, is rapidly eroding.
“Today, a teenager with access to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any of the other large language models can write an essay, debug code, design a flyer, generate a business plan… in minutes.”
This shift reflects a broader global trend. The 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey cited by Abrams found that 84% of developers are already using or planning to use AI tools. Across industries—from education to business—AI is compressing timelines and expanding access to capabilities once reserved for specialists.
For a country like Guyana, currently experiencing rapid economic expansion driven by oil revenues and infrastructure growth, this technological shift presents both opportunity and risk. Abrams points out that geographic barriers are no longer the primary constraint: “A child in Berbice, Linden, Bartica, Lethem, Essequibo, or Georgetown can now learn, build, test, and create at a level that would have been almost impossible a decade ago.”
Yet access alone does not guarantee participation. Abrams highlights a persistent digital divide rooted in literacy, exposure, and trust. Despite years of digital expansion, many Guyanese remain disconnected from even basic tools. “Technology does not transform societies by itself,” she cautions. “People have to be prepared, persuaded, trained, supported, and included.”
This gap, she argues, risks creating a two-tier society—one empowered by AI and another excluded from it. “AI may widen the gap between citizens instead of closing it,” Abrams warns, noting that those already comfortable with technology will accelerate ahead, while others fall further behind in a more demanding economy.
Her argument aligns with broader global research. The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies analytical thinking, resilience, and leadership as critical future skills—areas where human capability, not just technical access, determines success.
In practical terms, Abrams contends that the next competitive advantage will not be skill alone, but trust.
“When everyone can produce, who gets chosen?” she asks. “The person who can be trusted.”
In an AI-saturated marketplace where “acceptable” work becomes abundant, she argues that employers and clients will prioritise reliability, communication, and accountability. “A personal brand is not a logo… It is the accumulated evidence of how you behave over time.”
For Guyana’s education system, this signals a necessary shift. Abrams criticises traditional models that emphasise memorisation over critical thinking. “If we continue to train children only to memorize, obey, and repeat, we will fail them,” she states, pointing out that AI already outperforms humans in information retrieval and summarisation.
Instead, she calls for a focus on confidence, communication, and problem-solving—skills that allow individuals to interpret, apply, and defend ideas. “The modern economy will not reward silence,” she notes, challenging cultural norms that discourage questioning and initiative among young people.
Her insights also extend to business and workforce development. Small business owners who adopt AI for marketing, accounting, and planning will gain a competitive edge, while those who remain outside digital systems risk marginalisation. Similarly, workers who integrate AI into their productivity will outperform those who do not.
Abrams situates these challenges within Guyana’s current economic trajectory. With oil wealth transforming the country’s fiscal landscape, she warns that opportunity alone is insufficient. “If our young people are not prepared to distinguish themselves, many of those openings will go to others.”
Her prescription is inclusion must be intentional. Governments, educators, and institutions must actively support citizens in adopting technology by training teachers, equipping parents, and retraining workers.
“The society that succeeds will not be the one that merely announces digital transformation,” Abrams concludes. “It will be the one that prepares ordinary citizens to participate in it.”
Ultimately, her analysis reframes the AI debate. The question is no longer who has access to tools, but who is prepared to use them effectively—and who can be trusted when everyone can produce.
“In the end… the question is no longer only who can do the work,” she writes. “The question is who we choose to trust with it. And in Guyana… who will be prepared to participate at all?”
