Volume 1, Number 2 · Q1 2027
AI and Economic Transformation
Exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping Caribbean finance, labour markets, and economic structure — at the scale of small, open economies.
Issue Theme
About This Issue
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.
AI in Banking and Credit: Alternative Scoring Models for Caribbean Financial Inclusion
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.
SME Optimisation Using AI: Evidence from Caribbean Micro and Small Enterprises
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.
Labour Market Shifts and AI Exposure in the Caribbean: A Sectoral Analysis
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.
Diaspora Investment Intelligence: Machine Learning Approaches to Remittance and Capital Flow Analysis
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
Submit to Issue 2
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
30 September 2026
Target Publication
Q1 2027