Bajan Digital Creations Inc creating meaningful programmes in Barbados

BY LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH

Bajan Digital Creations Inc (BDCI) is a Barbadian company that was founded by S. Antonio Hollingsworth a Chemical and Process Engineer, and his Co-Founder Stacy Phillips who is Brand Strategist with over twenty years of experience in communications. Together they focus on using innovation and design to provide corporate solutions for their clients.

The company was the winner of the UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Blue Tank Challenge with their proposal for “The Blue-Bot Project.”
In our interview, Hollingsworth stated the company began organically due to the passion his Co-founder Stacy Phillips and he had for technology and design.

BDCI began organically out of a passion for technology and design. Both founders were already in careers focused on expanding knowledge and providing solutions. The company’s revolution began when Hollingsworth decided to use 360 VR underwater photography. As new ideas emerged, he would speak to his co-founder Phillips. Her response was simple but effective as she asked how the initiative would grow and be useful. Her response has pushed both of them to look deeper at what could be done to make an impact in their lives and the lives of those around them.

Hollingsworth, who is a developer in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Solutions, designed artificial intelligence software because the company was not able to afford to hire a secretary. The programme he designed Hiyaro was nominated for a World Summit Award for innovative use of digital technology in culture and tourism.

“In an attempt to make all of our content more accessible, we included all the content into this digital agent. Someone noticed Hiyaro and nominated Bajan Digital Creations Inc to the World Summit Awards for innovative use of digital technology in culture and tourism. As a result, Barbados had the first voice-activated and Caribbean specific digital ambassador which is embedded in Google Assistant,”

Hollingsworth further explained that anyone using Hiyaro should be able to talk and interact with her easily and naturally. The programme was deployed globally and was one of the firsts for the company. It is now a global entity that has a Caribbean personality and directs users to immersive content and old Barbadian proverbs.

The Co-Founder of BDCI stated that one of the company’s highlights to date was when their Blue-Bot video was featured on the manufacturer’s Facebook page promoting the robot as well as Barbados.

“The video demonstrated to the world that Barbados utilizes advantage technology. Bajan Digital Creations Inc is the first company to use this model of underwater robot in the Caribbean. It was a huge honour for us to be recognized by the Chinese manufacturer praising the underwater footage our company did of Barbados.”

Hollingsworth added that over the past year, their company has been working with Youcan Robotics and they regard Youcan highly for their support and more importantly maintaining a friendship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Founded in 2016, Youcan Robot is an integrated company in the world of underwater robot products and underwater video content exchange social platforms. The Youcan Robot team is driven by the concept of “Endless Exploration,” and they continue to innovate and develop in the field of underwater intelligent robots. Doing so will provide users with comprehensive underwater solutions.

What they have discovered is that the United States is the world’s largest consumer market for underwater robots. Now they are focusing on the United States in order to establish themselves as a leading underwater robot brand.

BDCI, being a leader in technology applications, created a machine-learning algorithm called Hiemdhal that gives a seven-day prediction of COVID-19 cases. Hollingsworth said he found Hiemdhal to be an invaluable piece of software as it has 90% accuracy and an uncanny way of detecting ‘anomalous’ reports.

Hollingsworth stated that one of the misconceptions persons have about artificial intelligence is that it was malevolent, but he explained artificial intelligence has been used for years in Barbados and that it could be a useful mechanism for businesses that are looking to cut expenditure as they navigate COVID-19.

“BDCI is proof that an investment in artificial intelligence gives your business a competitive edge. Using enterprise-level solutions may be expensive to some businesses, but smaller models that are specific to the problems unique to their businesses really do have returns on the initial investment. It will continue to pay dividends in the long term and not only the short term.”

There are many assumptions made about the capabilities of intelligent software, but fight it or not, AI is going to change the world more than any other invention in the history of mankind. Whoever becomes a leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world. It is amazing to know that we will have some Caribbean representation there.