Seminar on “Transforming Industries – The Role of AI and GenAI”

A seminar on “Transforming Industries – The Role of AI and GenAI” organized by the Career Guidance and Skills Development Committee of the OPA jointly with the Computer Society of Sri Lanka was held on the 9^th of August at the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA). The guest speaker was Dr. Romesh Ranawana, who is Group Chief Analytics and AI Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC.

In his speech, Dr. Ranawana defined AI as the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think, learn and solve problems like humans. He observed that AI was already a big part of our lives as it is integral to many commonly used applications, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Instagram, Facebook, Google maps, eBay, Netflix and YouTube.  He noted that AI has revolutionized professional practices by automating routine tasks, reducing errors, providing deeper data analysis and promoting new solutions across various fields. This, in turn, has allowed professionals to focus on strategic activities and improved the decision-making process.

Dr. Ranawana noted that preparing for AI integration required proactive learning, investment in technology and people, strategic process changes and continuous updates to strategies. He encouraged the audience to use AI to transform their industries and drive innovation.  The event was moderated by Dr. Ajantha Athukorala, President – Computer Society of Sri Lanka.