The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 was held in Shanghai from 17–20 July and brought global attention to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the increasingly important question of who gets to shape the rules governing it. This analysis examines the alignment between Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech and Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne’s speech across key themes, including inclusive global AI governance, the role of the Global South, international cooperation, and AI safety and security. 
The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 was held in Shanghai from 17–20 July and brought global attention to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the increasingly important question of who gets to shape the rules governing it. This analysis examines the alignment between Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech and Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne’s speech across key themes, including inclusive global AI governance, the role of the Global South, international cooperation, and AI safety and security. 
The rapid technological advancement and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become synonymous with conversations about the future of work. Headlines often focus on which jobs are at risk and how quickly technology will replace workers. But the reality is far more complex. On 11 June 2026, researchers and practitioners from across Asia gathered at the Pullman King Power in Bangkok for a knowledge-sharing session hosted by LIRNEasia and the Regional Economic and Social Analysis Unit (RESA) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The session explored how AI, digital transformation and platform work are reshaping labour markets – and what this means for workers, businesses and governments. 
On 6 November 2025, the Centre for Communication Governance (CCG) at National Law University Delhi hosted a hybrid, day-long event on “Operationalising AI Safety” at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. LIRNEasia’s CEO, Helani Galpaya, was invited as a panellist to the main panel discussion, “Operationalising AI Safety”, which explored the conceptions of AI safety, what it involves, and how it can be operationalised, particularly through AISIs. 
On 20th of August 2025, LIRNEasia, together with the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) and the Sri Lanka and Maldives office of the International Labour Organization (ILO) convened a policy roundtable discussion titled “Bridging Policy Pathways for an Inclusive Future of Work”. The roundtable brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors including policymakers, trade union and corporate representatives and practitioners, together with regional experts through the FutureWORKS Asia network, an initiative funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada. Regional experts included Selim Raihan (PhD) of SANEM, Cheryll Soriano (PhD) of the De La Salle University (Philippines), Jayvy Gamboa of Manila Observatory (Philippines), Towfiqul Islam Khan of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (Bangladesh), Balwant Mehta (PhD) of the Institute for Human Development (India), and Reiner Lorenzo Tomayo of Women in Global Health (Philippines), and Gayani Hurulle of LIRNEasia. Opening remarks were delivered by Joni Simpson of the International Labor Organization (Sri Lanka and the Maldives), with sub-themes of the discussion moderated by Helani Galpaya of LIRNEasia, Gayathri Lokuge (PhD) of CEPA, and Sabina Dewan of the JustJobs Network. The objective of the discussion was to explore critical policy themes shaping the future of work in […] 
The ‘Human Development and the Data Revolution’ report, edited by Mark Graham, Sanna Ojanperä, and Eduardo López and published by Oxford University Press features LIRNEasia as a significant case study, detailing our establishment, research, challenges, and lessons learned in leveraging big data for public good in the Global South. Through the Chapter 7 “Leveraging Big Data for Public Purposes in the Global South: LIRNEasiaʼs Experiences”, the report highlights how LIRNEasia has pioneered the use of big data across the Asia-Pacific, offering valuable real-world experiences and a critical Global South perspective on data-driven development. LIRNEasia Research fellow Shazna Zuhyle and former team members of LIRNEasia Sriganesh Lokanathan and Thavisha Perera-Gomez have contributed to this report as authors. For a more comprehensive understanding of our work and the impact on public policy, readers are encouraged to read the report, specifically the Chapter 7. 
LIRNEasia participated in RightsCon 2025, the world’s largest gathering of digital rights leaders, held in Taipei and online from February 24 to 27, 2025. The event brought together business leaders, policymakers, human rights advocates, technologists, and academics to address the intersection of human rights and technology. As digital landscapes evolve, discussions at RightsCon focused on pressing issues such as data governance, AI regulation, and the future of work—topics that LIRNEasia’s CEO Helani Galpaya, and our Data, Algorithm, and Policy Team Lead Merl Chandana tackled in their panel contributions. Their insights highlighted the challenges facing the Global South and provided actionable strategies for policy and regulatory frameworks. “Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: What Global Research Tells Us” CEO Helani Galpaya participated in two panels. 
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. 
In an era marked by the rapid growth of the digital economy, the issue of taxation on technology multinationals has taken centre stage. However, many countries in the Global South find themselves unequipped to harness tax revenue from these digital giants. Several policy options are available to countries. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN) have proposed treaty-based solutions, but questions have emerged about the revenue potential of these multilateral proposals, the feasibility of their timely implementation, as well as whose interests they serve. Meanwhile, several countries — including some in the Global South — have implemented their own domestic solutions.
AfterAccess: ICT access and use in India and the Global South. Helani Galpaya (@helanigalpaya) and TharakaAmarasinghe, 7 August 2018, New Delhi
LIRNEasia in partnership with the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) convened a two-day workshop to discuss a ‘research and policy agenda on big data for sustainable development in the Global South.’ The workshop held in Madrid on the 8th and 9th of October 2016, was a side event of the International Open Data Conference 2016. The objective of the workshop was to brainstorm ways of establishing Southern-led network to tackle some of the emerging opportunities and challenges in the use of big data in developing countries. The workshop explored a variety of issues around leveraging big data to tackle sustainable development. These include issues around representativity and marginalization, researching harms (competition, privacy, surveillance), researching solutions (legislation, regulation, ethics), and addressing challenges in relation to developing research capacity, accessing data and influencing policy.