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

• 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

• Misinformation in Bangladesh: A Brief Primer

  Over the past decade, both internet penetration and digital media user base have increased substantially.

• A Corpus and Machine Learning Models for Fake News Classification in Bengali

  We present a dataset consisting of 3468 documents in Bengali, drawn from Bangladeshi news websites and factchecking operations, annotated as CREDIBLE, FALSE, PARTIAL or UN-CERTAIN. The dataset has markers for the content of the document, the classification, the web domain from which each document was retrieved, and the date on which the document was published. We also present the results of misinformation classification models built for the Bengali language, as well as comparisons to prior work in English and Sinhala.

• (Research Report) AI Ethics in Practice

  This research report analyses the implementation of AI ethics principles in the policy, legal and regulatory, and technical arenas in Singapore and India.

More Documents →

Events

• 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.
• (Presentation) Risk Communication in a Pandemic: Preliminary findings from the Asia Pacific
  Rohan Samarajiva and Ramathi Bandaranayake presented preliminary findings from our work on risk communication during COVID-19.
• LIRNEasia at the International Webinar Series: SDG Sensitive Risk Communication & Community Engagement (RCCE) Response to COVID-19
  Rohan Samarajiva and Ramathi Bandaranayake presented preliminary findings from our work on risk communication during COVID-19.

More Events →

People

Arthit Suriyawongkul

Pirongrong Ramasoota

Kasun Amarasinghe

Dimuthu Attanayake

Malinga Ratwatte

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

• 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).
• The Beginnings of AI and Data Governance: The Landscape in Sri Lanka
  Digital Futures Lab, in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, recently published an edited volume on the ethics and governance of AI in Asia.
• Global Data Barometer Survey Published
  LIRNEasia's Ramathi Bandaranayake conducted the research for Sri Lanka as part of the Global Data Barometer Survey, the results of which are now public.
• Effect of Govt.’s first attempt to regulate social media content
  The keys to understanding the effect of the regulation are the definitions of the word and phrases “rumour,” “false statement,” and “any information or image or message which is likely to cause public alarm, public disorder or racial violence or which is likely to incite the committing of an offence.
• Personal Data Protection Act passed: What will it mean?
  Data protection is considered an esoteric subject, but affects the entirety of the modern economy, ranging from a home-based cake supplier who maintains a list of customers, their preferences and contacts, to a multinational insurance company.
• Towards a Better Understanding of Sri Lankan Cities Using Satellite Imagery
  Homagama, a town in the Colombo District in Sri Lanka, is officially classified as a rural area.
• (Discussion Paper) Towards a Realistic AI Policy for Sri Lanka
  Many countries around the world have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) polices.
• (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
• Misinformation in Bangladesh: A Brief Primer
  Over the past decade, both internet penetration and digital media user base have increased substantially.
• A Corpus and Machine Learning Models for Fake News Classification in Bengali
  We present a dataset consisting of 3468 documents in Bengali, drawn from Bangladeshi news websites and factchecking operations, annotated as CREDIBLE, FALSE, PARTIAL or UN-CERTAIN.
• (Research Report) AI Ethics in Practice
  This research report analyses the implementation of AI ethics principles in the policy, legal and regulatory, and technical arenas in Singapore and India.
• 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.
• A Corpus and Machine Learning Models for Fake News Classification in Sinhala
  We present a dataset consisting of 3576 documents in Sinhala, drawn from Sri Lankan news websites and factchecking operations, annotated as CREDIBLE, FALSE, PARTIAL or UN- CERTAIN.
More Posts →