Workshop held to raise awareness among govt executive officers on use of AI

A workshop took place to raise awareness about using Artificial Intelligence (AI) among government executive officers in Sri Lanka. This event, called “AI for Transforming Public Service,” occurred on Thursday (12) at the Ratnapura District Secretariat's auditorium. The Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Digital Economy guided the workshop, while the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council led the initiative with help from the Ratnapura District Secretariat, as stated by the President’s Media Division (PMD). Public officials from the Sabaragamuwa Province attended the program. This workshop marks an important step in the government's effort to digitalize public services. Its goal is to educate public officials and promote a positive attitude towards AI in the public sector. Resource persons for this event included Harsha Purasinha and Samisa Abeysinha, former directors of the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA). They are currently involved in building digital and AI skills for programs run by the Presidential Secretariat. The Chief Secretary of the Sabaragamuwa Province, E. K. A. Sunitha, and the District Secretary/Government Agent of Ratnapura, K. G. S. Nishantha, were present, along with executive-grade officers from Ratnapura and Kegalle districts.