LMDtv
AI is becoming part and parcel of daily life. Executive Vice President and Group CIO of John Keells Holdings (JKH), and Director and CEO of John Keells IT, Dr. Ramesh Shanmuganathan believes that it has pivoted lifestyles and is now intertwined with what we do.
He explained that artificial intelligence is following a similar pattern to previous technologies but at a more accelerated pace and on a broader scale.
Over the centuries, tech has entered and transformed our lifestyles. According to Shanmuganathan, in the past, it extended human capability but AI is probably the first technology to truly amplify a human being’s cognitive capacity to think independently, create content and extend personal capabilities.
Shanmuganathan added that alongside intelligence and emotional quotient, there is a need today to consider an augmentation quotient or AI quotient.
He noted: “Today, a person with an IQ of 110 could do better than someone with an IQ of 140 if he or she is able to augment artificial intelligence in what they do. So I think that’s the opportunity every human being has today.”
AI is about democratising intelligence, he said: “That’s an opportunity and people have to realise that they shouldn’t fight artificial intelligence because it’s augmenting human capability. Many people think that they’re going to lose their jobs and the fear of the unknown is really holding them back from embracing AI.”
Shanmuganathan is optimistic that AI will be a driver of Sri Lanka’s economic activity and help the country achieve exponential growth.
He observed that “the country has a small economy with a small population – so our nuances are in terms of how we can be more intelligent in the context of what we do and how we can differentiate what we’re doing today. For example, this is more of a services based country, and I feel that we have a huge opportunity for AI in industries and sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education and hospitality.”
Singapore and Dubai have successfully amplified themselves, despite being home to smaller populations, by using technology and its successive waves to drive economic activity – and that’s where Sri Lanka’s opportunities lie as well, he explained.
And as AI is for all, the government should intervene with a national strategy to ensure that everyone has access to artificial intelligence.
Shanmuganathan added that Sri Lanka is still on the periphery of the AI evolution and hasn’t adopted artificial intelligence effectively yet. Unfortunately, we are far behind in the process while countries such as India, Dubai and Singapore are adopting AI efficiently, he conceded.
He emphasised that “artificial intelligence has to become a national agenda item and part of the school curriculum since AI literacy is important. I don’t think today’s kids will be evaluated based on the degrees they have.”
“Degrees will be irrelevant because it’s going to be all about knowledge, which is free to everyone. And your value will be amplified when you ask the right questions, since artificial intelligence uses the information it has to provide the right answers,” he added.
Moreover, Shanmuganathan stressed that Sri Lanka needs to develop a national strategy that covers the basics such as digital identity and educating schoolchildren on AI literacy.
He elaborated: “We also need to move away from pilot projects, and ensure that AI goes mainstream across key industries and sectors because they have significant application opportunities.”
“Sri Lanka needs to drive this through a coordinated effort rather than drifting all over the place without a clear strategy or direction. We need strong leadership because ultimately, it’s all about execution,” he opined.
In summing up, Shanmuganathan asserted that technology will change but we must have the vision to pursue our goals and execute them – and that’s where we’ve been faltering as a country.
