On two occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament], “Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?” I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question. 

— Charles Babbage, Passages from the Life of a Philosopher (1864), Chap. 5, 59.

We live in a society where machines, algorithms and humans intertwine; where the “consensual hallucination” of cyberspace is no longer a separate part of our lives, but a swamp through which we wade, leaving data trails for the world to see; where the wrong people put the wrong figures into the wrong machines and wonder why the answer isn’t right. Terms like “Big Data” and “AI” have become Rorschach blots on the public consciousness

LIRNEasia’s role is to participate in the public policy dialogue around our algorithmically-inclined society with critical research and technical expertise. Since 2013, as cross-disciplinary team of data scientists, lawyers, and social scientists, we have conducted our own analyses, engaged deeply with policy makers and with private, data-heavy organizations.

Documents

• Responsible AI in Asia: Draft Report Open for Comments

  LIRNEasia has drafted a regional (Asia) report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region, which is open for public review until April 13, 2025. This report, the final output a Global Center on AI Governance (GCG)-funded project, exists in three main parts: The first section examines where Asia stands in the Global Index, identifying key trends and regional patterns. The second section contextualizes these findings through in-depth national case studies, highlighting both best practices and governance gaps. The final section takes a forward-looking approach, identifying the key developments that will shape AI governance in the region. This report was authored by Merl Chandana and Sukitha Bandaranayake, with the India case study written by Anushka Jain and Aarushi Gupta. Part II was co-authored by Merl Chandana, Sukitha Bandaranayake, and Ana Florido. We welcome feedback on any aspect of this draft report (i.e., content, organisation). Feedback can be provided in the comment box below, or emailed to sukitha@lirneasia.net.  

• Responsible AI in Asia: Summary of Upcoming Report

  The following document is a summary of an upcoming regional report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region.  The broader report, to be released in April 2025 as the final output of a Global Center on AI Governance (GCG)-funded project, was authored by Merl Chandana and Sukitha Bandaranayake from LIRNEasia, with the India case study written by Anushka Jain and Aarushi Gupta (of Digital Futures Lab, India). Part II was co-authored by Merl Chandana, Sukitha Bandaranayake, and Ana Florido. The report containing global findings of the Index can be found here.

• Use of online job portal data in research and in practice: A review

  Last year we conducted research to explore the possibility of leveraging online job portal data for economic analysis in 13 Asia Pacific countries, as a part of a project for the Asian Development Bank. We examined the types of information available on major portals across the region, to discern the nature and format of available data. We also tested and refined methodologies to analyse a dataset comprising online job vacancies sourced from a Sri Lankan job portal, to demonstrate use cases for exploring  the impacts of shocks on the labour market. The first step in this exploration was to review where in practice online job portal data has been used, to identify the  methods and techniques available along with their strengths and limitations.  The full review is published below. It covers the following key areas: Existing uses and applications of online job portal (OJP) data been used for labor market analysis. Limitations and challenges of using OJPs and existing ways of addressing them. Other data sources that complement OJP data. Processing steps, methods, and techniques used in collecting and processing OJP data prior to analysis.

• Data science for social good

  On 2nd October 2023, Research Manager and Team Lead (Data, Algorithms, and Policy) Merl Chandana, alongside Junior Researcher Chanuka Algama, held a session titled ‘Applied data science research for social good’ at the University of Kelaniya’s Department of Statistics and Computer Science. The session delved into LIRNEasia’s journey of forming a data science team and using large datasets to yield critical insights for public policy. They contrasted LIRNEasia’s applied data science approach with traditional academic research and private sector practices. Additionally, they highlighted the emerging ‘AI for Social Good’ movement and its potential as a career avenue. The slides used can be accessed below.

• DRAFT: Using mobile call detail records (CDRs) and remote sensing data for spatial mapping of poverty

  By employing unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques, we explore the feasibility of utilizing mobile call detail records (CDRs) as well as geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data to map poverty spatially

• (Discussion Paper) Towards a Realistic AI Policy for Sri Lanka

  Many countries around the world have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) polices. However, Sri Lanka is yet to adopt one. This discussion paper considers factors that may be taken into account if an AI policy were to be drafted in Sri Lanka.

• (Policy Brief) Sri Lanka’s Open Data Portal

  This policy brief looks at the current status of Sri Lanka’s Open Data Portal, and what may be done to improve it. 

• Data science research in Sri Lanka: Human resource challenges and prospects

  Keynote presentation for South Eastern University, 10th Annual Science Research Sessions 2021, 30 November 2021 – by Rohan Samarajiva, LIRNEasia

More Documents →

Events

• Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka: LIRNEasia hosts exclusive forum in Colombo
  LIRNEasia hosted a forum on December 7, 2024, titled “Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka” at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo.
• Exploring AI’s transformative potential: LIRNEasia launches ‘AI for Social Good’ workshop series
  LIRNEasia concluded its first workshop (30 March, 24’), its first and part of a larger series of initiatives on ‘Artificial Intelligence for Social Good’; intended to raise interest and awareness on the potential of AI to benefit society at large.
• Data science for social good
  On 2nd October 2023, Research Manager and Team Lead (Data, Algorithms, and Policy) Merl Chandana, alongside Junior Researcher Chanuka Algama, held a session titled ‘Applied data science research for social good’ at the University of Kelaniya’s Department of Statistics and Computer Science.
• LIRNEasia CEO at event on “Democracy in the Digital Age: How Canada Advances Internet Freedom for All”
  Helani Galpaya spoke on the information disorder at the panel discussion titled “Democracy in the Digital Age: How Canada Advances Internet Freedom for All," organised by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the International Development Research Center (IDRC).
• CPM’s 26th webinar on ‘Safety of information in a technically driven world’
  The Institute of Chartered Professional Managers of Sri Lanka’s (CPM Sri Lanka) 26th Webinar was held on the 27th of August 2021 with a focus on the ‘Safety of information in a technically driven world’ a timely subject of cyber security.

More Events →

People

Arthit Suriyawongkul

Pirongrong Ramasoota

Kasun Amarasinghe

Dimuthu Attanayake

Ashwini Natesan

Ayumi Arai

Nisansa de Silva

Danaja Maldeniya

Gabriel Kreindler

Lasantha Fernando

Merl Chandana

Ramathi Bandaranayake

Shazna Zuhyle

Viren Dias

Chathurike ‘CD’ Athuraliya

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Yuhei Miyauchi

Blogs and Updates

• Responsible AI in Asia: Draft Report Open for Comments
  LIRNEasia has drafted a regional (Asia) report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region, which is open for public review until April 13, 2025.
• Responsible AI in Asia: Summary of Upcoming Report
  The following document is a summary of an upcoming regional report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region.
• Strengthening Decision-Makers’ Capacities for Appropriate EdTech Use in South and Southeast Asia
  Educational Technology (EdTech) has significant potential to improve educational outcomes and address widening skill gaps across the Global South, with significant investments in the sector being made over the last decade.
• How AI is revolutionizing satellite imagery for a better view of our planet
  As of 2025 DAY 33, the satellite tracking website “Orbiting Now” lists 11,559 active satellites in various Earth orbits, each with missions including communications, Earth observation, technology development, navigation, space science, etc.
• Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka: LIRNEasia hosts exclusive forum in Colombo
  LIRNEasia hosted a forum on December 7, 2024, titled “Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka” at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo.
• Software failures and public funds: Monumental coding errors explained
  In the world of technology, programming errors—whether stemming from minor oversights or fundamental misunderstandings—can have catastrophic consequences.
• How will AI shape the upcoming presidential election in Sri Lanka?
  How will AI shape our upcoming presidential election?
• LIRNEasia Junior Researcher Chanuka Algama shares cutting-edge research on Conversational RAG at ICIIT Conclave 2024
  The Annual International Conference on Innovations in Infobusiness & Technology (ICIIT), organised by the Informatics Institute of Technology, took place on May 30-31, 2024, rebranded as ICIIT Conclave 2024.
• ඒ.අයි.වලින් වැඩක් නොගන්නේ ඇයි?: ලර්න් ඒෂියාහි මර්ල් චන්දන මව්බිම පුවත්පත සමඟ කළ සාකච්ඡාව
    කෘත්‍රිම බුද්ධිය ලෙසින් පොදු සමාජය බැලූ බැල්මට හ¾දුනා ගන්නේ සංවර්ධිත රටවල දියුණුවේ අග්‍රඵලයකි.
• The Global Index on Responsible AI: Promoting responsible AI practices worldwide
  In the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is important to ensure that society continues to reap its benefits without being subject to its many harms.
• The paradoxes and plays of symbolic computation
  Before we dive into natural language understanding, the theory, and its applications–it is important from a pedagogical perspective that we understand the historical trajectory of the ideas that led us there.
• Exploring AI’s transformative potential: LIRNEasia launches ‘AI for Social Good’ workshop series
  LIRNEasia concluded its first workshop (30 March, 24’), its first and part of a larger series of initiatives on ‘Artificial Intelligence for Social Good’; intended to raise interest and awareness on the potential of AI to benefit society at large.
• Use of online job portal data in research and in practice: A review
  Last year we conducted research to explore the possibility of leveraging online job portal data for economic analysis in 13 Asia Pacific countries, as a part of a project for the Asian Development Bank.
• Data science for social good
  On 2nd October 2023, Research Manager and Team Lead (Data, Algorithms, and Policy) Merl Chandana, alongside Junior Researcher Chanuka Algama, held a session titled ‘Applied data science research for social good’ at the University of Kelaniya’s Department of Statistics and Computer Science.
• DRAFT: Using mobile call detail records (CDRs) and remote sensing data for spatial mapping of poverty
  By employing unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques, we explore the feasibility of utilizing mobile call detail records (CDRs) as well as geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data to map poverty spatially
• LIRNEasia CEO at event on “Democracy in the Digital Age: How Canada Advances Internet Freedom for All”
  Helani Galpaya spoke on the information disorder at the panel discussion titled “Democracy in the Digital Age: How Canada Advances Internet Freedom for All," organised by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the International Development Research Center (IDRC).
More Posts →