How AI is Opening New Doors for Family Island Businesses
At the 14th Annual Eleuthera Business Outlook, Amber Carey, VP of Consumer Solutions and Marketing at CBL Group, shared how artificial intelligence is helping reshape the future of entrepreneurship across The Bahamas, particularly for small businesses in Family Island communities like Eleuthera.
Carey noted that technology is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs to compete beyond traditional limitations such as restricted market reach, slower communication with customers and suppliers, and limited access to digital tools and payment platforms.
She emphasized that the rise of AI is only as powerful as the infrastructure supporting it.
“AI may be the great equalizer, but connectivity is what makes that equality possible.”
For decades, operating a business on smaller islands meant working within structural limits including higher operating costs, seasonal tourism fluctuations, and reduced access to resources. Today, reliable connectivity is helping close that gap.
Small business owners can now use AI powered tools to streamline operations, automate administrative work, strengthen customer service, and expand their reach beyond their immediate communities.
From vacation rental operators and boutique hotels to retailers, restaurants, farmers, and freelancers, AI is helping entrepreneurs operate more efficiently and competitively in an increasingly digital economy.
That progress depends on infrastructure.
Carey highlighted Cable Bahamas’ continued investment in strengthening connectivity across the islands, including its subsea fibre network, LTE expansion through ALIV, and a recently announced two-million-dollar fibre resilience project extending connectivity further into South Eleuthera.
These investments help ensure businesses in smaller island communities can access the same digital capabilities and opportunities as those in larger population centers.
“Cable Bahamas is simply enabling the opportunity to experience more with foundational infrastructure built for tomorrow,” Carey said. “Our role is to ensure that no matter where a business is located in The Bahamas, it has the digital foundation needed to thrive in today’s economy and provide for those who depend on it.”
As artificial intelligence continues transforming industries globally, Carey encouraged business owners to view the technology as a tool to enhance what already makes their businesses unique.
For small island communities, the future of business is no longer limited by geography.
With stronger infrastructure and more accessible digital tools, Bahamian entrepreneurs now have greater opportunity than ever to innovate, scale, and compete locally, nationally, and globally.
But with greater access comes greater responsibility.
Building on that message, Shakera Johnson, Director of Information Security, emphasized the importance of protecting businesses as they adopt these tools.
AI is powerful, but if used carelessly, it can expose the very businesses it is meant to strengthen. As artificial intelligence continues transforming how we work, create, and communicate, one reality is becoming clear. Speed without security is a risk.
While AI increases efficiency, it also introduces new vulnerabilities:
– uploading sensitive company data into public AI tools
– sharing internal documents without understanding where that data goes
– relying on AI generated outputs without verification
From a cybersecurity standpoint these are open doors.
Responsible AI use means being intentional with data, verifying outputs, setting internal guidelines, and choosing trusted tools.
The goal is not to fear AI. It is to use it wisely and responsibly.
Because in this new era, the businesses that succeed will not just be the fastest.
They will be the ones that are secure, intentional, and trusted.
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Written by Daniella Dorsette