“GOVERNMENTS AREN'T READY FOR THE FUTURE, BUT WE HAVE TO BE”

With digital education and Artificial Intelligence (Al) becoming increasingly relevant and reshaping our way of life, concerns are raised that Sri Lanka risks being left behind.

- By Rashitha Dahanayaka

One such person who shares these concerns is none other than Dilshan Abeygunawardena, an early adopter and at present an entrepreneur and a content creator, with over 650,000 followers across social media and a career that spans podcasting, gaming, investing in the crypto space and Al entrepreneurship. In conversation with the Daily Mirror, he spoke candidly about the future of Al, the gaps in government policy, and the challenges faced by Sri Lankan freelancers. Excerpts:

You've worn many hats, from early podcaster to Al entrepreneur. Can you briefly tell your story?

My journey began at age five, when I won consecutive bronze medals at the 28th and 29th International Children's Art Exhibitions. A few years later, I convinced my grandfather, through a letter to my school counsellor, to buy me a laptop. That opened the door to creating video games, exploring YouTube, and eventually winning an e-Swabhimani award for my computer game Operation Wanni.

Of course, at home, it was always "Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" That was the expectation. But my passion was elsewhere, and that's what pushed me into experimenting with IT and media from a young age.

From there, I stepped into podcasting with Dilshan's Thoughts, which became one of the highest-rated podcasts in Sri Lanka, recognised by USAID as influential and ranked in Spotify's global top 10% most-followed shows. I didn't just want to entertain; I wanted to make an impact.

My first business venture was with Dileepa Jayawardena, selling point-of-sale systems, and later I co-founded the myHub YouTube channel with him.

You were an early adopter of many things, from podcasting to Fiverr. Today, you run Olee.ai, which develops and delivers Al solutions for businesses. Can you briefly explain what Olee.ai does?