Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that a programme to harness modern technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), and to largely accelerate the government’s initiative for social and economic transformation will commence next year.

Wickremesinghe said at a discussion on Thursday that the government aims to proliferate AI across all sectors within five years, and the university system has a pivotal role to play in this initiative, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD) on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.

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He said that in pursuit of these economic goals, the country needs to foster the adoption of modern technologies such as AI.

The President is working with the Ministry of Technology to establish a Digital Transformation Agency, which will not only focus on IT but will also facilitate social and economic transformation through digitalisation, aiming for a digital economy.

He has also proposed starting AI clubs in schools and integrating AI into university curricula rather than establishing separate AI departments.

He added that four new universities, primarily focused on technology, are being considered.