📈 Governance & AI Adoption: Implications for Sri Lanka

• National Context & Readiness: Sri Lanka is in the early stages of AI deployment. The national dataset, Lanka Data Net (LDN)—launched in early 2026—remains too premature to derive complex public policy outcomes, making strict human oversight essential over machine-driven decisions. • Public Sector & Tech Dynamics: While technologists, software engineers, and mathematicians drive AI innovation, decision-making remains dominated by legal and administrative executives. Integrating deep technical expertise into governance structures is critical to ensure system safety and risk control. • Consumer Trends: Consumer adoption of AI tools is surging rapidly, with reports indicating 81% of Sri Lankans now use AI over traditional search engines for daily information retrieval. • Global Alignment & Next Steps: To avoid risks associated with imported datasets, experts recommend adapting proven international models—such as the EU's Knowledge4Policy (K4P) framework—to establish robust data governance, transparency, and ethical compliance tailored to local needs.