Guernsey’s needs to embrace AI, build more houses, and allow an educational revolution.
Those were some of the topics discussed at the Chamber of Commerce Gala Dinner where financial journalist Steph McGovern was the guest of honour.
More than 400 guests had gathered for the evening, with the broadcaster covering a multitude of topics during an interview with James Hunt of Guernsey Chamber.
She kept coming back to upskilling and reskilling and the need to educate people about their own finances.
She said that needs to start in school with students being taught about things like tax and compound interest.
“I think that’s remiss of education to leave school without that sense of understanding money, so yes, I really enjoy explaining it, but I think there’s a lot people out there who I think would feel more confident if they just learned earlier on a bit more about money and finance, and then you wouldn’t need me to explain it, because you’d understand it yourself, because it’s not that complicated once you’re shown the basics of how it works.”
With a background in engineering, Ms McGovern was pleased to spend time with apprentices at The Guernsey Institute earlier in the day.
She said she’d heard about an 82-year-old student at the College of FE, suggesting that evidence shows he might live longer because he is exercising his brain.
She also referenced places like Singapore where the government gives adults credits to pay for approved courses throughout to encourage lifelong learning.
Despite most people changing jobs throughout their career, Ms McGovern suggested a job for life could still be a thing if people kept retraining throughout their employment.
She said this could happen with AI.
“I think there’s this whole big fear around AI, and I’m very much a believer of, you’re not going to be replaced by AI, you’re going to be replaced by someone who uses AI. If you’re not (using AI), you’re fearing it, and I challenge all of you, if you don’t use AI, just have a go and use ChatGPT.
“If you’ve got kids asking to give you a story for bedtime one night, try one using AI,” she suggested.
By embracing AI, Guernsey could open the doors to health care advances and more entrepreneurs might want to move here, Ms McGovern said.
“Don’t fear it and put your head in the sand and go ‘we’ll be all right, we don’t need AI’. Just try it out and just see how it might help, because I do think it’s the next Industrial Revolution.”
However, when asked about the challenges Guernsey faces, Ms McGovern suggested before the island can encourage more entrepreneurs to move here it needs to build more affordable housing.