Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword. It is a tool that is reshaping how businesses operate, how industries compete, and how countries position themselves for the future. Belize got a front-row seat to that conversation today as the second annual AI Summit brought together global experts, local leaders, and curious minds under one roof. This year’s theme, Efficiency at Scale, signals a shift. The question is no longer whether Belizeans are using AI, but how well they are using it. Zenida Lanza has the story.
Zenida Lanza, Reporting
Last year’s summit was about discovery. This year it is about mastery. Organizers say the focus has moved from simply exploring what AI can do to understanding how to prompt it, shape it, and put it to work in meaningful ways. The Managing Director of Avant Garde explained why bringing this conversation to Belize matters.
Maynor Larrieu
Maynor Larrieu, Managing Director, Avant Garde
“So for us that’s very important because we want the Belizean general public who are curious, interested and just generally interested in AI to have the opportunity to hear from global AI experts. We have 12 experts here from Europe, the US and a few from Belize as well who are working remotely here in Belize and they’re actually sharing their knowledge, sharing their tools, inspiring everyone in the room to just push the envelope and be more efficient. I think AI is not going to replace you, but AI is going to empower you to be more efficient, to be more effective, so I think it’s very important for us to have this event.”
The conversation extends well beyond Belize’s borders. For Central America as a region, AI is quickly moving from theory to practice, and one of today’s presenters says the shift happened faster than anyone anticipated. David Cabrera came to share how the eight nations of the SICA region are putting AI to work for small and medium enterprises.
David Cabrera
David Cabrera, Executive Director, CENPROMYPE
“I will present some of how the AI is going to implement in the region, in the eight countries of SICA regions, the Central American countries, Belize and Dominican Republic. Last year we were talking about the importance of AI, in one year we have passed from talking about AI to act and passed to use the AI as a productivity skill for MSMEs.”
Among the sectors paying close attention is tourism, an industry that Belize depends on heavily and one that is increasingly being shaped by the very platforms travelers use to plan their trips. Belize Tourism Industry Association President Efren Perez took the stage today to make the case that hoteliers and tourism operators need to get ahead of this shift now.
Efren Perez
Efren Perez, President, Belize Tourism Industry Association
“While we’re not looking particularly at bringing in robots to the hoteliers, we are encouraging them to utilize the platforms, to utilize the tools for them to be able to really expand into new markets. You know, people are using ChatGPT and AI right now to build travel itineraries, and so for us it is important to let hoteliers know that they need to start to input things on the web through blogs, through imagery, through social media, because the AI bots are picking those up and that is what allows travelers to be able to have a much better experience in terms of what it is that is available in Belize.”
But as AI use grows, so do concerns about misuse. From deepfakes to online scams, it raises questions about whether stronger regulations are needed in Belize.
Tremett Perriott
Tremett Perriott, Change Management Manager, Ministry of E-Governance
“In anything there are, I believe that we have and we are developing digital management laws and practices. Everything that we have has both sides and in the middle. And I find that with the digital agenda, 25 to 2030, and the laws that are being enacted, I find that we should be able to cover those things effectively in the future and monitor them as our technology improves and increases and grows.”
Still, for many workers, the fear of being replaced by a machine is very real. We put that question directly to the tourism industry President.
Efren Perez
“It’s far from happening, especially in Belize. You know, we are known as a destination that is of its people, of its culture, of that personalized approach that we have, and so certainly I don’t believe that AI will be taking anybody’s job, especially in the tourism industry anytime soon. I think what it will do, it will enhance the abilities of those in the industry to be able to make better decisions, to really gather data and really allow them to showcase the products that they have to offer.”
AI is quietly weaving itself into the fabric of how Belize does business. The summit made clear that the country is not standing still, but the work of building the skills, the safeguards, and the strategy to keep up with a fast-moving technology is only just beginning. Reporting for News Five, I am Zenida Lanza.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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