The Maldives has taken a major step in preparing for the age of artificial intelligence (AI) with the publication of its first national AI Readiness Assessment Report, produced in collaboration with UNESCO. The report presents a mixed picture: while progress has been made in laying the groundwork for ethical and inclusive AI, the country faces substantial challenges in infrastructure, regulation, capacity, and public understanding.
The report is part of UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), a tool designed to help countries evaluate their preparedness to implement AI responsibly. In the case of the Maldives, the findings are both promising and cautionary.
At the heart of the country’s efforts is the forthcoming AI Masterplan 2025 to 2035, spearheaded by the National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT) under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology. The plan, still in development, is expected to serve as the primary policy document guiding the adoption and ethical use of AI in line with the country’s social and cultural values.
While the report notes that the Maldives has achieved near-universal mobile coverage and launched data-sharing platforms like Explorer, it lags in key areas such as fixed broadband infrastructure, digital literacy outside the Greater Malé region, and cybersecurity. The country ranks 177th out of 194 globally in the ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index. There is also no dedicated national AI law, and the Data Protection Bill remains in draft form.
AI research and innovation remain limited, with only seven scholarly AI publications recorded in 2022 and no dedicated academic centres for AI ethics. The education sector faces hurdles in both infrastructure and curriculum development, particularly in outer islands, where 70 percent of schools lack adequate technical support and many still use outdated hardware.
Yet the Maldives exhibits some unexpected strengths. Internet usage among rural women surpasses that of men, which is unusual even by global standards. Text-to-speech and Dhivehi voice tools developed by local start-ups also offer potential for culturally appropriate AI applications.
The report identifies five strategic focus areas for the Maldives: establishing strong AI governance, institutionalising inclusive oversight, developing talent and knowledge, ensuring accessibility and social equity, and strengthening the country’s AI investment ecosystem. It offers high-priority recommendations such as finalising the AI masterplan, creating anti-discrimination policies for AI, building sector-specific AI task forces, and launching AI education and public awareness campaigns.
Importantly, the assessment highlights that effective AI deployment in the Maldives will depend not just on technical advancement but on embedding inclusion and ethics into the foundation of its digital policies.
