LIRNEasia Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP) Team Lead and Research Manager Merl Chandana was featured in ‘The Morning’ newspaper on 28 December 2025, in an article by Nelie Munasinghe, where he underscored the urgency of moving from AI policy discussions to real-world implementation.
“The perception that Sri Lanka has not yet widely adopted AI is inaccurate. While it may not be as visible as in other countries through large AI-focused companies, AI is already being integrated across sectors like health, retail, transport, finance, and e-commerce. The potential benefits and risks of this technology are already present. Viewing AI-related risks as a distant concern does not reflect our current reality. We must determine how to manage this technology responsibly today.”
In the interview, he emphasized that although Sri Lanka has released a draft National AI Strategy, governance cannot remain at the level of policy intent. He highlighted the need to update the strategy to reflect the current state of AI, given the technology’s rapid evolution, and to formalize it as official government policy. He also stressed the importance of moving decisively toward implementation through clear institutional coordination, well-defined responsibilities, and enforceable oversight mechanisms.
He further noted the importance of adopting a phased, soft-law approach to AI governance, one that builds on existing legal frameworks such as the Constitution, the Personal Data Protection Act, and consumer protection laws, rather than introducing rigid, comprehensive regulations prematurely. This approach, he explained, aligns better with Sri Lanka’s current regulatory capacity and the fast-evolving nature of AI technologies.
