“There is a lot of hype around technology today but one thing we all know is how AI is taking over a lot of what we do – both within enterprises and our daily use,” Director/CEO of Millennium IT ESP Shevan Goonetilleke observed, during a recent LMDtv interview.

Indeed, digital technologies have taken control of how companies are managed and countries are run with artificial intelligence topping the list.

He elaborated: “AI is being infused into so many things that we are doing from a technology perspective including aspects such as cybersecurity.”

“For instance, cyber defence is being strengthened using AI to automate threat detection. Technologies such as 5G and 6G are coming into play, and then we have augmented reality and cloud computing going to the next level,” Goonetilleke added.

And as he noted, these trends are materialising in Sri Lanka too: “Many software engineers and professionals in tech companies in the country are exposed to these trending technologies because they’re serving global organisations – they need to upskill themselves.”

Local industries are also spreading their tech awareness regarding aspects such as artificial intelligence and many are embarking on AI journeys.

Meanwhile, Goonetilleke asserted that “some industries are more advanced than others, and looking forward to advancing their workforce and technologies. For instance, some banks in Sri Lanka are embarking on AI journeys because they see the benefits.”

Technology has always been considered a catalyst for economic growth in this country and its potential to support the island’s recovery is immense.

He explained: “Several revenue opportunities such as exports in terms of servicing global organisations have been looked into. Many companies are doing so already but I think the potential is higher and we can do more.”

“Meanwhile, there are other companies set up in Sri Lanka that are more captive development centres,” he explained, adding: “For instance, a company can be a software arm of a large international organisation.”

Goonetilleke said that another aspect includes the digitisation initiatives that the government is discussing – such as managing costs through initiatives such as digitising citizen services. He added: “There’s much more efficiency and transparency to be gained if this kind of digitisation works.”

Nevertheless, there are challenges hindering Sri Lankan’s progress in this process. He opined that despite having a high global demand for qualified engineers, there are gaps in supply. On the digitisation front, inconsistent policies have hindered the implementation of many good ideas and strategies.

Cybersecurity is another concern when it comes to digital advancement. Goonetilleke continued: “Some Sri Lankan organisations work with global cybersecurity entities because they have understood the risks. And some enterprises have been attacked, and suffered financial and/or reputational damage.”

He explained: “Awareness is increasing and people know they need to have the right defences in place. That’s why so many companies want to set up their own security centres or start outsourcing to continuously monitor and watch out for threats. We also see enterprises creating senior positions for chief information security officers who will sit on their boards.”

However, many organisations aren’t on the cybersecurity bandwagon yet, he lamented: “These companies may think that they are safe or too small to attract the attention of hackers.” Awareness is essential, he emphasised.

Yet, there’s hope for Sri Lanka with increasing education and professional training in terms of cybersecurity.

“There are institutes conducting programmes in schools – and many institutes are also creating higher education programmes that are even going up to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Momentum is being created but more needs to be done,” he concluded.