President discusses AI with Meta’s Sir Nick Clegg

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Sir Nick Clegg, Meta's President of Global Affairs on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assemble(UNGA) in New York , President's Media Division said. 

The President was briefed on Meta's advancements in Artifical Intelligence(AI) with a particular emphasis on open-source technologies. 

Both parties have also discussed potential collaborations between the Sri Lankan Government and Meta in the field of AI. 

The PMD said one of the proposals was for a collaborative programme between Meta and Sri Lankan universities aimed at advancing AI technology. 

President Wickremesinghe has emphasised that his two primary areas of focus with regard to the use of AI is in education and to address climate change. 

During the discussion, President Wickremesinghe has also highlighted government initiatives to combat online hate speech and the spread of fake news. 

The PMD said the Meta's Global Affairs chief was briefed of the proposed bill that would allow concerned parties to challenge specific aspects through the Superme Court and further revisions considered during the Parliamentary Commitee review.