Sri Lanka developing an elaborate AI strategy for economic expansion

Sri Lanka is focusing on creating a robust artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to attain a fivefold increase in its digital economy over the next five years, as underscored by Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy.

At a recent discussion, he highlighted that AI is crucial for augmenting the country’s competitive advantage and should be inclusive, profiting all sectors of society rather than just a select few.

The initial application of AI will be applied in the Government Information Centre (GIC), aiming to automate information delivery to citizens through a voice-driven system. This project is planned to ensure data safety and privacy while rallying public service efficiency. Dr. Wijayasuriya also stated plans to utilize AI for automating repetitive government procedures, and to increase the digital economy’s contribution to GDP from 3-5% to 15% through an “AI-first” approach.

“Another safe area we are working on is automatic speech recognition as well as text-to-speech translation, which brings in the language element to the fore,” explained Wijayasuriya. “Having an equally enabled environment for Sinhala, Tamil, and English is important to ensure that exploitation of AI results in inclusive outcomes and that it will not lead to an expansion of the gap between those who use technology and those who don’t.”

It is important that principles of inclusion are applied and are foremost in our minds as we start exploring these technologies, he added.

He highlighted the transformative potential of AI when combined with fitting regulations that prioritize inclusion and responsible use. The initiative will leverage various advanced technologies, with satellite and drone data, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing, to nurture economic growth. Dr. Wijayasuriya reiterated that AI is a foundational element of the country’s digital strategy, integrating it across all infrastructure layers, including both public services and private sector operations. He emphasized the magnitude of creating a trustworthy environment for AI use, warranting that its benefits are accessible to the entire population.

Article Topics

AI  |  digital economy  |  digital government  |  government services  |  Sri Lanka