Sri Lanka's digital ambitions clash with stalled human development

UNDP's report underlines global HDI growth at slowest pace in decades World may also be decades away from achieving its 2030 development goals Sri Lanka ranks 89 globally and second in South Asia, but progress has stalled UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota says HDR's findings were wake-up call HDI peaked at 0.78 in 2018 and slipped slightly to 0.776 in 2023 Inequality increases for fourth consecutive year Gender Inequality Index has worsened, dropping from 122 in 2024 to 93 in 2025 Other South Asian countries, like Maldives, closing gap with Sri Lanka Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne says Al is strategic tool to revive momentum UNDP calls for human-centred approach where people, equity, and inclusion must be core to Al adoption Emphasises combining Al with human intelligence to boost innovation and recovery

- BY DIVYA THOTAWATTE

DESPITE Sri Lanka's resilient digital position within South Asia, the country's progress has stalled, according to the 2025 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report (HDR), which highlights artificial intelligence (AI) as a new hope for growth and recovery.

This year's report, titled 'A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI,' explores Al's transformative impact on human development. It emphasises that the choices societies make in their design, governance, and application will determine whether the technology becomes a catalyst for empowerment or a driver of exclusion.