Artificial intelligence may be transforming how institutions communicate, but Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Governor Timothy Antoine is warning that the same technology could become a serious threat to public trust as deepfakes and misinformation become increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality.
Speaking at the opening of the fourth Regional Central Bank Communications Conference, Antoine cautioned that central banks must prepare for an information environment in which convincing false content can spread rapidly and potentially undermine the credibility of trusted institutions.
While acknowledging AI’s potential to personalise communication, simplify complex economic information, reach wider audiences and allow institutions to respond more quickly, Antoine warned that those advantages come with significant risks.
AI, he said, can also amplify misinformation and produce convincing false content, including deepfakes a concern that is no longer theoretical. According to Antoine, some central bank governors have already encountered deepfake-related experiences, reinforcing the need for institutions to put safeguards in place.
He stressed that AI must therefore be used responsibly, backed by human judgement, accountability and appropriate safeguards, particularly within institutions whose decisions and public messaging can directly influence confidence.
For Antoine, the test is whether technology strengthens rather than erodes credibility. As institutions embrace new tools, he urged communicators not to lose sight of the human being receiving the message.
That challenge forms part of a wider shift in how the ECCB believes central banks must communicate with the public.
Antoine argued that central banks can no longer rely primarily on communicating with financial markets, economists and the media. Instead, institutions must engage directly with the wider population and recognise that trust is built not only through sound policy, but through clear, transparent and timely communication backed by credible action.
He also warned against waiting until a crisis erupts before attempting to establish meaningful relationships with the public, stressing that institutions should be listening long before problems emerge.
That means building what Antoine described as a “reservoir of trust” through openness, credible action, clear explanations and genuine engagement creating a foundation institutions can draw on when uncertainty or crisis strikes.
The three-day Regional Central Bank Communications Conference is being held under the theme “Engage, Listen, Adapt: Reshaping Central Bank Communications for Public Trust.”
It brings together representatives of regional central banks alongside international and academic contributors to examine public engagement, institutional communication and the rapidly changing information environment.
