Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan has described artificial intelligence as a tool for solving national challenges, rather than a race for prestige for small island states such as the Maldives.

Speaking at the high-level plenary segment of the Global AI Governance Dialogue, Ihusaan noted that the Maldives, with its small population spread across many islands, can easily be overlooked on the global technology map. However, he stressed that the Maldivian delegation was not attending the forum merely to observe.

He said the future shaped by discussions on AI must allow countries such as the Maldives to benefit from the technology.

For the Maldives, Minister Ihusaan said, the value of AI lies in its ability to improve public services, create fairer access to opportunities, and reduce the impact of distance between people and essential services.

AI has therefore been included as part of the broader reforms under the Maldives 2.0 roadmap. The reforms are built on digital infrastructure, trusted data, cybersecurity, and transparent accountability.

Minister Ihusaan warned that without these foundations, AI could worsen inequality instead of reducing it, with its benefits concentrated among already capable institutions while others are left behind.

The Maldives has already begun implementing these foundations. The country became the first in South Asia to complete an AI readiness assessment with UNESCO and has established a national centre on AI and data capability to strengthen whole-of-Government capacity through planned and coordinated implementation.

The minister identified three priority areas for AI-related work: investing in strong foundations, treating capacity-building as a long-term commitment, and recognising interoperability across platforms and devices as a principle of governance.

He said the future of AI in governance should not be measured by the use of the most advanced systems, but by how safely such tools are used for the benefit of people in small island states.

Ihusaan added that the real test of AI is not whether powerful countries can advance further with the technology, but whether countries that remain behind can also move forward with its support.

He concluded by urging countries at the forefront of technological development to make AI a bridge, not a barrier.