'Skepticism Is Key to Ethical AI' - Sri Lanka's PM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya positioned skepticism not as resistance to progress, but as a necessary force to ensure that technology serves humanity. 

A self-admitted late and cautious adopter of technology, she argued that skepticism plays a vital role in keeping innovation grounded in ethics, responsibility, and real-world impact.

Sri Lanka’s national vision is to be recognised globally as both a consumer of AI technologies and a producer of AI talent, research, and innovation. But the Prime Minister made it clear: the digital economy is no longer an abstract policy goal. It is a shared responsibility — one that involves government, private sector, educators, civil society, and citizens alike.

She illustrated this with everyday examples: the small business owner selling products overseas via e-commerce, and the student in a rural school learning coding alongside mathematics. These are the faces of Sri Lanka’s digital transformation — and they reflect the need for inclusive, ethical, and sustainable progress.

Opening the doors to the National AI Expo, the Prime Minister reminded that technology is a tool. Its value lies not in its novelty, but in its ability to solve problems, create opportunities, and build a just and prosperous society.

Central to this transformation is education. The Prime Minister announced that Sri Lanka’s most comprehensive education reforms in recent years will be launched in 2026, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and humanistic values.

Key pillars of the reform include:

Digital literacy, coding, and STEAM education from early grades
AI, robotics, and climate science integrated into school curricula
A shift to competency-based education
Nationwide deployment of smart classrooms, devices, and trilingual e-learning platforms
Digital pedagogy training for 100,000 educators
A new Teacher Excellence Framework to elevate teaching standards
Introduction of a national digital ID system to manage the education sector