The Bermuda AI Playbook for Business
Most Bermuda businesses are already using AI, whether or not anyone approved it: nearly six in ten employed residents use AI for work every week. This Laurenceo playbook turns that into a plan. It works for a five-person firm on Front Street and for a regulated insurer, and every step links to a free Laurenceo tool.
Step 1: Find Out What Is Already Happening
Before buying anything, ask staff which AI tools they use and for what. Expect ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, meeting transcription and AI features inside software you already pay for. Write each one down with who uses it, for what, and whether personal or client data goes in. That list is the start of your AI inventory, which the BMA expects every regulated firm to keep. Laurenceo's free Evidence Toolkit builds one in your browser.
Step 2: Pick Three Use Cases
Choose uses with clear value and low risk first:
| Good first use cases | Wait until controls are in place |
|---|---|
| Drafting and summarising internal documents | Decisions about customers, claims or credit |
| Meeting notes and action lists | Hiring, performance or dismissal decisions |
| Research and first drafts of marketing copy | Anything sent to customers without review |
| Spreadsheet and data analysis on non-personal data | AI agents that can make payments or change records |
Step 3: Choose Tools That Protect Your Data
Under PIPA, your business stays responsible for personal information even when an overseas AI vendor processes it. Prefer business or enterprise plans that do not train on your data, offer retention controls and sign a data processing agreement. Block personal accounts for client work.
Step 4: Write a Short AI Policy
A one-page policy beats none. It should cover approved tools, what data may never go into AI, human review before anything leaves the building, who owns each AI use, and how to report a problem. Run your draft through Laurenceo's free AI Policy Gap Analyzer, which checks it against PIPA and the BMA's guidance in your browser.
Step 5: Train Your People
Free and low-cost options exist in Bermuda: the Government's AI Education Series, Bermuda College's AI Foundations course and Chamber of Commerce workshops. Laurenceo lists them all in AI Jobs, Skills and Training in Bermuda. Ignite Bermuda's free Spark AI coach is aimed at local entrepreneurs (Bernews).
Step 6: Check the Rules for Your Sector
- Everyone: PIPA for personal data; employment and human rights law for AI used on staff (AI and the Law in Bermuda).
- BMA-regulated firms: the proposed AI Guidance Note, which applies to every regulated entity.
- Selling into the EU: check whether the EU AI Act applies (Bermuda AI Regulation).
Step 7: Measure and Keep Records
Track time saved, error rates and incidents for each use case. Keep a record of approvals and reviews. If you are regulated, records are how you show the BMA that controls work. Laurenceo's AI Governance Readiness Assessment scores you against ten production controls and shows the gaps.
Step 8: Plan for Scams
AI also helps criminals. Require call-back verification for any change of payment details and train staff on voice cloning. See AI Scams and Deepfakes in Bermuda.
One-Page Checklist
- AI tools in use are listed, with owners
- Three first use cases chosen
- Business-grade tools with no training on your data
- One-page AI policy approved
- Staff trained on the policy and on AI scams
- Privacy notice mentions AI where personal data is used
- Sector rules checked (PIPA, BMA, EU AI Act)
- Results and incidents tracked
Laurenceo's View
The businesses that get the most from AI in Bermuda will not be the ones with the most tools. They will be the ones that know what they use, control what matters and can prove it. That is the discipline Laurenceo's free tools are built to make easy.
Questions and Answers
How should a small Bermuda business start using AI?
List the AI tools staff already use, pick three low-risk use cases such as drafting and summarising, choose business-grade tools that do not train on your data, and write a one-page AI policy.
Does my Bermuda business need an AI policy?
It is strongly advisable. A short policy covering approved tools, data that must not be entered, human review and incident reporting reduces PIPA risk, and BMA-regulated firms are expected to govern AI use.
Is there free help for Bermuda businesses adopting AI?
Yes. Laurenceo offers a free AI Policy Gap Analyzer, Readiness Assessment and Evidence Toolkit; the Government and Bermuda College run AI training; and Ignite Bermuda offers a free AI business coach.
Sources
About the Author
Jorai Laurenceo is the Founder and Executive Director of Laurenceo, Bermuda's AI governance think tank, based in Hamilton, Bermuda. He leads Laurenceo's research on AI governance and the Bermuda Monetary Authority's AI guidance, its public consultation response and Laurenceo Intelligence. He studies Technology Management at Ontario Tech University.