In our September 2026 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Certified Information Systems Auditor, a Certified Information Privacy Professional and a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant, Allison James of Barbados, and Simone Pasmore, the Chief Executive Officer of Webstylze, also in Barbados, the panel discusses: (i) Are your core business systems really secure? How using AI can build your company’s freedom and true security; (ii) building digital trust and accountability; keeping Caribbean communities safe in a connected, AI-enabled world; and (iii) the state of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the Caribbean region.
This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Welcome to our September 2026 Community Chat panel discussion.
In an increasingly interconnected world, technology has evolved from a back-office utility into the central nervous system of modern society. This rapid transformation presents both unprecedented opportunities and critical challenges across the Caribbean region, forcing leaders to rethink how they safeguard their operations, protect their citizenry, and lay the foundation for sustainable regional growth.
At the organisational level, leaders must look under the hood of their modern enterprise architecture to address a fundamental question: are their core business systems truly as secure as they think? Moving beyond traditional, reactive defences, integrated artificial intelligence empowers organisations to dismantle operational vulnerabilities, automate threat responses, and achieve genuine cyber resilience. So, to kick of this month’s Community Chat discussion, our panellists tackled the question: Are your core business systems really secure? How using AI can build your company’s freedom and true security
However, system-level defences are only part of the equation. As AI-enabled tools become woven into the fabric of daily life, building digital trust and accountability becomes an essential imperative for keeping Caribbean communities safe online. This was the basis for our second topic: Building digital trust and accountability: Keeping Caribbean communities safe in a connected, AI-enabled world, which to achieve, requires balancing rapid technological adoption with robust ethical governance, strong data protection frameworks, and public policy tailored specifically to the needs of the region.
Finally, these high-level paradigms intersect with the physical world through the ongoing expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT). From smart logistics at regional ports to connected urban infrastructure and industrial monitoring, assessing the current state of IoT deployment across the Caribbean highlights where smart technology is thriving, where integration hurdles persist, and how connected devices are shaping the future of the regional economy. So, for our final topic, noting the plan by Amber Group to roll out its IoT network in Jamaica, we discussed The state of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the Caribbean region.
Introducing our guests
Allison James is a digital trust professional who bridges the gaps between people, processes, and technology to help organisations thrive in today’s complex digital environment. As a chartered accountant with a foundation in technology risk management, IT governance, cybersecurity, and data privacy, she guides clients in building digital ecosystems that are not only resilient and secure but also strategically aligned with their business goals. Allison empowers organisations to confidently embrace change, ensuring that innovation is balanced with robust controls and sustainable practices.
Simone Pasmore is a seasoned Master of Science Software Engineer and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Webstylze Limited. With a career built on a robust foundation of pioneering technologies, she specialises in synthesising deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to solve complex corporate and social challenges.
Simone is a recognised leader in the Caribbean digital landscape, serving as a Director for Grace Kennedy Money Market Services (GKMS) and XSOMO International. She is dedicated to advancing the integration of AI-driven solutions to foster sustainable success and transformative growth.
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Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:
- Allison James
- Simone Pasmore
- Webstylze
- Irish Times article,‘Gambling with our lives’: How talk in AI companies is increasingly turning to doomsday
- CNBC article, Experts weigh in as researcher says AI has more than 10% chance of ‘killing all humans’
- Jamaica Observer article, Amber eyes Jamaica IoT roll-out as Africa device count tops one million
Images credit: A James; S Pasmore; Magnific (Magnific); Joshua Hoehne (Unsplash); creativeart (Magnific)
Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell
Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez
