GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, July 11, 2025 – The Government of Barbados and global data science platform Zindi officially launched two cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) challenges at the 2025 AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of their year-long partnership to accelerate digital transformation and foster AI innovation across the island nation.
Unveiled during the Solutions Stage session titled “Zindi and Barbados Team Up for AI-First Digital Transformation”, the initiative highlights the collaborative efforts of Zindi and GovTech Barbados, a state-owned enterprise which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology. The partnership is focused on leveraging AI and global crowdsourcing to solve real-world problems, build local capacity, and modernise public services in Barbados.
The newly-launched challenges are:
Barbados ROAD Historic Handwriting Challenge
This challenge asks participants to build an AI model that can recognise and transcribe handwritten text from historical documents, including deeds, wills, censuses, and estate inventories. At $25,000USD, this is the largest ever prize pool for a Zindi challenge, and emphasises the importance of the solution to Barbados and the Caribbean region. The winning solution will help unlock insights from Barbados’ rich historical archives, contributing to research, governance, and cultural preservation.
Barbados Lands and Surveys Plot Automation Challenge
This challenge invites data scientists to develop an AI model that can automate the identification of plot boundaries and other key data from printed survey submissions. With more than 35,000 plots to digitise from historical records, this solution will help modernise land management services and streamline digital access to property data.
Hon. Jonathan Reid, Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, emphasized the strategic vision behind this collaboration: “We believe that AI has the power to democratise innovation and deliver impactful change across our society. By partnering with Zindi, we are inviting the global AI community to help shape a more inclusive, data-driven future for Barbados, empowering our citizens and preserving our heritage while advancing technological development.”
The launch of these challenges follows the announcement of a year-long partnership between Zindi and MIST to nurture an AI ecosystem in Barbados through challenges, learning opportunities, and community engagement.
Celina Lee, CEO of Zindi, shared her enthusiasm for the partnership: “This collaboration with the Government of Barbados exemplifies how we hope to support digital and AI strategies for governments all around the world. We are proud to work with the government of Barbados to create real-world applications for AI that not only serve the people of Barbados but also provide a global platform for data scientists to make a meaningful impact.”
These challenges are open to participants worldwide and form a key part of Barbados’ national digital transformation strategy, with strong emphasis on upskilling local talent and crowdsourcing novel solutions from the global data science community.
To learn more and participate, visit zindi.world.
Jacques Pauw (South Africa)
Most Impactful Work: The President’s Keepers: Those Keeping Zuma in Power and out of Prison (book) and his work for Vrye Weekblad and Special Assignment (SABC).
Short Bio: A veteran South African investigative journalist, Pauw has a long history of exposing government corruption and atrocities, particularly during and after the apartheid era. His book, “The President’s Keepers,” caused a national sensation by detailing allegations of corruption and state capture under former President Jacob Zuma.
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Bra / Bru – friend. This term is commonly used to call a friend, pal or buddy.
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