Artificial intelligence could make The Gambia’s economy US$38 million larger in ten years but high data costs and weak digital skills are blocking young Gambians from benefiting, according to a report released by Ayre Think Tank.
The Ayre Index, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda recently ranked The Gambia 50th out of 56 Commonwealth countries for youth AI readiness, scoring 37.3 out of 100 against a readiness benchmark of 53. Only 15 countries reach that benchmark. The Index, drawing on 1,128 research sources, examines conditions affecting about 732 million young people across the Commonwealth.
The research conducted by the Ayre Think Tank, founded by Antiguan-Canadian philanthropist Calvin Ayre, found strong interest among Gambian students.
In a survey of 83 Gambian students aged 18 to 29 who already used ChatGPT, 56.6% used it to help with studies at least sometimes. Some 71.8% believed it could provide reliable information, the highest proportion among the Commonwealth countries compared.
But only 15.7% said they often or always used it for research papers.
The small survey of existing users does not show how widely AI is used across the country but indicates that the bigger barrier is cost and connectivity.
According to the survey, The Gambia recorded the slowest fixed broadband upload speeds among the 56 countries, just 7.71 Mbps in 2025.
It added that mobile data costs 8.68% of average monthly income and nearly a fifth of income for the poorest 40%.
The report revealed that the country scores just 2.2 out of 10 for education and training provision and 0.5 for digital, data, media and AI capability.
It stressed that with about 720,000 young people aged 15 to 29, the stakes are high.
The report stated that using IMF scenarios, researchers calculate AI could raise GDP by US$38 million after ten years under a moderate scenario of US$57 million in the optimistic case and US$18 million in the conservative case.
“AI is going to change how we work, how we do business and how wealth is created. But this is not a race that only the biggest or richest countries can win,” said Calvin Ayre.
“What matters is giving young people the skills and the chance to get ahead — whether to start businesses, find jobs or build something for themselves.”
In May 2026, a locally developed CUBE AI Tutor was piloted with 150 students at three secondary schools while in July, a Unicef-supported youth innovation programme showcased a winning team now piloting an AI-powered virtual teacher with Unicef.
