The Foundational Learning Crisis Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) are the basic skills every child should master by the end of Grade 3: understanding short texts, writing simple sentences, and performing basic arithmetic (UNICEF, 2022). Yet in low- and middle-income countries, about 70 percent of ten-year-olds cannot read and understand a short passage—a figure that rose sharply after COVID-19 (World Bank, 2022). Children who miss these skills early rarely catch up, limiting later learning and increasing the risk of dropout (UNICEF, 2022). Weak FLN ripples through a person’s life and a nation’s economy, constraining skill development, employment, and long-term growth (Obiakor & Newman, 2022). Sri Lanka reflects this pattern. 
The Foundational Learning Crisis Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) are the basic skills every child should master by the end of Grade 3: understanding short texts, writing simple sentences, and performing basic arithmetic (UNICEF, 2022). Yet in low- and middle-income countries, about 70 percent of ten-year-olds cannot read and understand a short passage—a figure that rose sharply after COVID-19 (World Bank, 2022). Children who miss these skills early rarely catch up, limiting later learning and increasing the risk of dropout (UNICEF, 2022). Weak FLN ripples through a person’s life and a nation’s economy, constraining skill development, employment, and long-term growth (Obiakor & Newman, 2022). Sri Lanka reflects this pattern. 
Reflections on a panel discussion concerning AI and information disorder Across the globe, digital media platforms have exacerbated the intentional and unintentional spread of misinformation. Misinformation, which can be spread both intentionally and unintentionally, has contributed to increased polarization, hateful rhetoric and the deterioration of democratic systems. The development of AI systems may exacerbate these issues, while also creating opportunities to combat the problem. Seasoned voices from the South Asian and African disinformation landscape came together for a panel discussion, held in Colombo, organized by LIRNEasia, titled “Use of AI to Counter the Information Disorder” on July 3, 2025, united by a single question: Can AI assist in solving the very problems it creates? The session, moderated by Merl Chandana (Research Manager and Team Lead of Data, Algorithms, and Policy), focused on the intersection of AI and information integrity in the context of misinformation, especially during elections. 
The Forum on Data Governance in Thailand, held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the Sigma Room (6th floor), Pullman King Power Bangkok, brought together experts from government agencies, academia, and private organizations to exchange their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences on data policymaking and the design of data governance systems in Thailand. The forum was hosted by LIRNEasia (an independent think tank working across the Asia Pacific), in collaboration with the Department of International Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Republic of Korea), Privacy Thailand, and the Institute of Public Policy Studies (IPPS), Thailand. Funding support was provided by the International Development Research Centre (a Crown Corporation of the Government of Canada). The Forum explored the inherent tensions that arise in governing data in light of competing interests and policy objectives – that of collecting, storing, using and sharing data to support development and growth objectives, and of protecting privacy and other human rights that are vital but can be violated through the release of data. LIRNEasia and affiliated researchers explored such tensions as well as the practical ways these tensions are resolved across seven countries – Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines. 
Each year, UNESCO celebrates World Press Freedom Day globally. The main/signature event is held in a different region or country each year. This year’s signature event was held in Brussels, Belgium, on the 7th of May. LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya was one of the speakers on the panel titled Freedom of Expression and AI: Press Freedom, Information Integrity, and the Rule of Law. The other panellists were Michael O’Flaherty (Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe), Pedro Conceição (Director of the Human Development Report Office, UNDP), and Irene Jay Liu (Regional Director, Asia & the Pacific, International Fund for Public Interest Media). 
Pinpointing where poverty is most severe and tracking its changes over time is crucial for helping communities effectively. However, traditional benchmarks like household surveys and national censuses often fall short—they’re expensive, slow, and infrequent. In countries like Sri Lanka, this means we’re often relying on outdated information, hindering our ability to respond to sudden economic shocks or disasters. On top of that, poverty cannot be determined by income data alone, rather its multidimensional, where factors such as infrastructure, access to services, and economic activity also play a role in determining a community’s well-being. To capture these complexities, our DAP team (Data, Algorithms, and Policy) explored something different: how to rethink the way we measure poverty in Sri Lanka using AI with non-traditional data sources? 
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. 
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. These satellites provide us with an unprecedented view of Earth, enabling real-time monitoring and granular data collection. From tracking deforestation in the Amazon to monitoring agriculture yields across different continents, these ‘eyes in the sky’ generate a massive volume of data that gives valuable information about our planet’s health and human activities that have changed the natural earth’s surface. However, this sheer volume and complexity of such data lead us to an exciting question: How can we harness artificial intelligence (AI) to make sense of this vast array of satellite imagery? Let’s explore this intersection of satellite imagery and AI, by understanding the unique characteristics of satellite data, the challenges in processing it, and the potential solutions with deep learning. 
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers significant potential to enhance public services and drive innovation within Sri Lanka’s public sector. At the AI Asia Summit 2024 in Colombo, Merl Chandana, Research Manager and head of the Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP) team at LIRNEasia, shared insights on how the government can harness AI effectively and responsibly. Speaking on a panel titled “AI for National Economic Growth and Innovation: enhancing services and driving efficiency,” Merl outlined key considerations for adopting AI in ways that truly benefit citizens. Practical steps for AI adoption in public services Merl emphasized that while AI offers vast possibilities, public sector adoption must be both strategic and phased. After highlighting a few ongoing AI pilot initiatives in Sri Lanka’s public sector, he noted that these projects often begin with a strong data foundation and empowered decision-makers with deep expertise in their fields. 
The implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) extend beyond mere technological advancement. There is no doubt that while the Global North is gaining most of the benefits of AI, the Global South faces significant problems, such as biased language models. AI has the potential to transform our media systems. It can also disrupt business models, spread disinformation, and erode trust in society. However, AI also offers a transformative potential to democratise information access and increase digital participation. 
The following article was originally published on the IDRC – Resisting information disorder in the Global South website. LIRNEasia studied information disorder in Asia for a scoping study on challenges of information disorder in the Global South in 2022[1]. We conducted over 80 key informant interviews, including fact checkers and journalist to gather data for the study. Fact checkers and journalists talked about use of digital tools, including AI tools in their day-to-day work. Some of their Digital tools included ‘the Social-People Index, Facebook Ad Library, Crowd Tangle, Sentione, Google fact-check tool, Claim Buster, and TinEye’. 
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. The event featured a keynote speech by Dr. Romesh Ranawana, Chairman of the national AI strategy committee (Sri Lanka, 2024-28). Dr. Ranawana outlined Sri Lanka’s tactical roadmap for AI development, including its synergies with existing digital policies, the challenges still ahead. 
In a recent interview on the Sirasa Pathikada programme, Professor Rohan Samarajiva, Chair of LIRNEasia, shed light on the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in addressing various challenges and emphasised the need for mindful use of this technology for public benefit. He began by explaining the basic concepts of AI, distinguishing between general AI and narrow AI using simple examples. Prof. Samarajiva then highlighted the application of AI in disaster management, specifically in predicting floods. Drawing attention to Google’s flood forecasting system for the Ganga River in India, he described how AI utilises data from rainfall forecasts, river levels, and historical flood data to generate flood risk maps. 
LIRNEasia recently unveiled “Dissect” – a cutting-edge web tool employing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tailored for effective fact-checking. What sets this tool apart is its compatibility with Sinhala websites, and its accessibility to anyone from anywhere in the world, making fact-checking accessible to a wider audience. Developed by Appendix Pvt. Ltd. under Watchdog Sri Lanka, the web tool is currently being tested for effectiveness by LIRNEasia.
A white paper exploring the use of AI in classifying misinformation.
Intended for policymakers, technologists, educators and others, this international collection of 19 short stories delves into AI’s cultural impacts with hesitation and wonder.
Here is what Mark Zuckerberg said in his testimony before a Senate Committee: He also said that while Facebook is beefing up its use of AI to spot and remove offensive content, it will be five to 10 years before the company will have tools to do this automatically. So I was correct in my phrasing in the New York Times op ed: Media companies of all kinds must accept responsibility and deploy artificial intelligence and plain old elbow grease to the task. And people of good will must play their part by calling out falsehoods and reporting those responsible. So let’s apply the elbow grease while working on the AI.