COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed officials from the Ministry of Technology to form a presidential task force of experts and prepare a concept paper to promote usage of artificial intelligence in the country, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said on Sunday.
During a recent discussion, the president highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence in various fields, including agriculture, education, health, fisheries, and industry, according to the PMD.
Noting that the current annual contribution to Sri Lanka’s gross national income through computer and information technology is around 1.9 billion U.S. dollars, Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of taking prompt actions to increase artificial intelligence’s contribution to the economy in the coming years.
The president said that only 2,500 engineers are produced in Sri Lanka every year, suggesting that the country should aim to produce at least 10,000 engineers to meet the demands of the digital age.
The world is progressing with artificial intelligence, and it is crucial for Sri Lanka to focus on this technology and invest in it, the president said, adding that the private sector needs to be involved in this initiative.
