Why Sri Lanka Should Care About Lightweight AI

While global tech giants battle over who can build the largest Al system, Sri Lanka has an opportunity to take a different path.

- BY HAFSA RIZVI

The future of artificial intelligence in our island nation may not lie in massive, power-hungry models that require supercomputers, but in small, efficient Al systems that can run on ordinary smartphones and tablets.

The Rise of Lightweight AI

Lightweight Al, also known as edge Al, refers to artificial intelligence models designed to work directly on personal devices rather than requiring constant internet connectivity to powerful remote servers. According to Stanford's 2025 AI Index Report, the cost of running these smaller models has dropped dramatically, making them viable for everyday applications.

Unlike the headline-grabbing large language models that dominate international news, lightweight Al prioritises practicality over raw power. These models are smaller, faster, and designed to solve specific problems efficiently. They can work offline, use minimal battery power, and operate on hardware that costs hundreds of dollars rather than millions.

Why Sri Lanka Needs This Approach

For Sri Lanka, lightweight AI makes perfect sense. Our infrastructure challenges become advantages when we focus on solutions that don't depend on high-speed internet or a constant power supply. Rural areas with intermittent connectivity can still benefit from Al tools that work offline. Small businesses don't need expensive cloud computing subscriptions to access intelligent features.

Consider our agriculture sector, which employs nearly 25% of the population. A farmer in Anuradhapura doesn’t need access to ChatGPT to benefit from AI. What they need is a simple smartphone app that can identify crop diseases by analysing photos, recommend treatments in Sinhala or Tamil, and work without internet connectivity. This is exactly what lightweight AI enables.

Practical Applications on the Ground