AI: Sri Lanka's Catalyst for Digital Transformation 🚀

• The discourse positions Artificial Intelligence (AI) as Sri Lanka's opportunity to leapfrog traditional development barriers and accelerate its national digitisation drive. • Digital Economy Status & Targets: • Current Value: $\sim\$ 3.47$ Bn (4.37% of GDP). • ICT/BPM Revenue Target: Grow from $\$$ 1.2 Bn to $\$$ 5 Bn by 2030. • ICT/BPM Workforce: Projected to expand to 300,000 by 2024 (from 125,000 in 2018). • Government Commitment: The 2025 Budget allocated Rs. 3 Bn for digital transformation programs, building on the Rs. 1.5 Bn set aside in 2024 for a national AI strategy. • Readiness: Sri Lanka currently ranks 95th out of 193 countries in the Government AI Readiness Index, an improvement of 10 places in one year. • Key Application Areas: AI is seen as crucial for streamlining complex tax systems, speeding up public service delivery (via virtual assistants), and enhancing efficiency for SMEs and sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and logistics. • Local Innovation: Sri Lankan firms (e.g., hSenid with Sprout AI) and academia (e.g., Sinhala-language AI models from UoM) are developing homegrown solutions tailored to local needs. • Challenges: Success depends on addressing the digital access gap (nearly 50% of the population lacks reliable internet) and ensuring strong data governance and regulatory frameworks.