AI regulation in Barbados (2026)

DPO Caribbean's regional mapping of AI laws and regulations found no substantive national AI document for Barbados. No AI-specific statute has been enacted or formally tabled as of May 2026.

The Data Protection Act 2019-29 (modelled on the EU GDPR) applies to automated processing of personal data and came fully into force in March 2021. It is the closest instrument currently regulating AI-adjacent activity such as profiling and automated decision-making.

The Central Bank of Barbados published blog posts titled 'The Future of AI Policy: Lessons for Barbados' and 'Global AI Policy and Regulation', offering nine policy recommendations to government — including maintaining flexible policy optionality, using government as an AI testing lab, and strengthening cybersecurity — but these are analytical, not binding regulatory instruments.

In December 2025 and March 2026, the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology announced a sweeping digital legislative overhaul — described as aiming for 'gold-standard' laws on telecommunications, blockchain, electronic transactions, and a 'secure AI framework' — as part of a $188 million digital economy plan targeting world-class status by 2030. No bill has yet been tabled.

GovTech Barbados is piloting AI on public-sector challenges (e.g. partnership with Zindi platform, AI fellowship programme). A January 2026 partnership with African AI firm Amini was announced to build local AI capacity. These are operational programmes, not regulatory instruments.

Barbados is developing an AI 'starter rule book' for SMEs aligned with EU regulations given its Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, and is working within CARICOM toward harmonised regional digital trade rules. No binding regional AI instrument exists yet.