This book explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be adapted to address the unique development challenges of small island nations. It offers practical, context-sensitive strategies and real-world applications designed for regions such as the Maldives, where geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and climate vulnerability present complex hurdles to sustainable development. Focusing on the intersection of AI, sustainability, and digital inclusion, this book examines how AI technologies can be leveraged in key sectors such as infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, education, health care, smart cities, and legal systems. It highlights how AI can empower island nations to overcome resource constraints, language barriers, and geographical remoteness—factors often neglected in mainstream AI discourse. Each chapter combines conceptual foundations with case studies that illustrate AI's potential when aligned with local needs, values, and capacities. This book serves as a valuable resource for researchers, educators, engineers, digital policy experts, development professionals, and decision-makers interested in sustainable and inclusive technology solutions for emerging and vulnerable regions.

Dr. Ali Fawaz Shareef is a prominent Maldivian academic and higher education leader with over two decades of experience in teaching, research, and institutional development. He holds a Ph.D. in information systems from Massey University, New Zealand, and has served in key leadership roles including the vice chancellor and deputy vice chancellor (academic affairs) at the Maldives National University, Rector at Cyryx College, and the executive director at Villa College. His academic expertise spans data science, research methods, database design, and big data analysis, and he is widely recognized as a national expert in eLearning and information and communication technology (ICT) integration in education. Dr. Shareef has played a pivotal role in shaping the educational and digital landscape of the Maldives, having led the expansion of distance education, the development of national ICT infrastructure for learning, and contributing to curriculum development and educational policy.

Yoosuf Nizam is currently an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology, Maldives National University. He obtained his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia. His research interests include embedded computing systems, remote sensing, and assistive rehabilitation devices and robotics. He has published widely in international journals and conference proceedings and is also the author of several book chapters.