Authored by – Kousheyee Ghosh – EY GDS Consulting Business Transformation and Client Support Services Leader
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally altering project management in industries worldwide, and Sri Lanka is no exception.
Manual activities such as project planning and static reporting are now being automated using AI. Smart planning, proactive risk identification, real-time reporting, and intelligent resource management are driving efficiency, precision, and innovation across practically all industries.
The areas in project management, where AI is being used extensively, are resource allocation and planning, predicting outcomes and risks, reporting and scheduling, and cost estimation and quality control. Although adoption is in the early stages, awareness and experimentation are growing among professionals.
Sri Lanka has outlined a comprehensive national strategy to leverage AI for economic transformation, public service enhancement, and global competitiveness. Led by the Presidential Secretariat and developed by the Committee on Formulating a Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (CFSAI), the plan includes a five-year roadmap aligned with Digital Strategy 2030.
Key initiatives under the strategy include the establishment of a National AI Centre, an LKR 1.5 billion budget allocation for early AI adoption, and cross sectoral collaboration involving academia, industry, and other sectors with adoption in BFSI, telecommunications, construction, and IT services.
The strategy emphasizes ethical AI deployment, data governance, skills development, and sectoral integration particularly in health, agriculture, education, and public administration to position Sri Lanka as a regional leader in responsible AI innovation.
Moreover, AI has now become essential to make project management more agile and resilient. Teams are often unaware when a disruption may happen or how swiftly industry trends may change. Quickly adapting to changes, the AI shift is improving operational efficiency and the quality of customer service and support.
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), organizations that fully leverage AI are 30% more likely to deliver on time and 23% are anticipated to exceed their ROI goals. Today, AI is not just an enhancement; it is assisting project managers in driving efficiency and innovation, automating complex processes, providing predictive insights, and enabling real-time collaboration.
Analysis of vast datasets, from client financials to market trends, is a critical process in project management. Traditional methods are slow and prone to human error. A single incorrect decision or insight can derail progress and delay delivery by months.
Organizations such as EY GDS Sri Lanka are implementing AI-powered systems to help teams identify anomalies in financial transactions or anticipate market shifts. Based on fresh streams of data and calculated insights, teams can make decisive decisions in real time and provide data backed recommendations with speed and accuracy, elevating the overall client experience.
Business requirements documents and meeting notes are key but time consuming. Generative AI excels in accuracy, consistency, and detail. It can evaluate and extract information from client discussions, user inputs, and market trends, combining disconnected information into structured and actionable documents.
In Sri Lanka’s consulting and IT services sector, where documentation is often a bottleneck, generative AI is helping firms accelerate delivery cycles, maintaining compliance and precision.
Software development cycles require collaboration from stakeholders, which increases the risk of misalignment. AI-powered tools bridge these gaps, automating repetitive tasks such as code generation, review, and testing. Gartner predicts by 2028, 75% of enterprise software engineers will adopt AI coding assistants, highlighting the growing impact of these technologies.
Sri Lanka is forecasting USD 20 billion in total export earnings for 2026, marking a 10% year-on-year growth. A total of USD 15.7 billion is projected from merchandise exports, and USD 4.3 billion is expected from services exports. The Export Development Board (EDB) has highlighted services such as ICT, logistics, and tourism as critical drivers of this growth, with ICT identified as a leading contributor.
Moreover, Sri Lanka has set a national target of USD 36 billion in exports by 2030, with USD 11 billion projected from services alone. It highlights the strategic role of the IT and BPM sector in diversifying the country’s export portfolio and strengthening its competitiveness in the global digital economy. For the IT industry, the growth signals strong growth opportunities, as ICT services are increasingly recognized as a pillar of export-led development, complementing traditional sectors like apparel and tea.
A Harvard Business Review study found organizations integrating AI with human expertise achieve higher performance metrics compared with those relying exclusively on one or the other. Though AI can process data or automate documentation, interpreting results and tailoring insights to specific client scenarios requires deep industry knowledge.
Human-AI partnership guarantees that automation does not compromise personalized, high-quality service. In Sri Lanka, where client relationships are deeply valued, the balance is essential to sustaining trust and long-term partnerships.
Sri Lanka’s AI market is poised for rapid growth, with strong government backing and industry adoption. The country launched a national push toward AI-driven growth, unveiled at the first National AI Expo and Conference 2025. The government’s reforms focus on embedding AI in multiple sectors.
Complementary initiatives include a unified cybersecurity strategy, expanded digital payments, and a national AI platform. By 2030, Sri Lanka aims to build a USD 15 billion digital economy, generate USD 5 billion in digital exports, and create a workforce of 200,000 skilled professionals, positioning AI as a central driver of economic transformation and global competitiveness.
Supporting this national plan, EY GDS Sri Lanka just completed four years in Sri Lanka as a leader in the consulting and assurance industries in February 2026. The milestone demonstrates the firm’s commitment to driving innovation and excellence in the region, aligning with Sri Lanka’s broader digital transformation journey.
As AI continues to evolve, its implementation in Sri Lanka’s project management landscape can further accelerate the country’s development, driving efficiency throughout industries and enabling faster execution of large-scale initiatives. In striking a balance between automation and expertise, organizations can ensure AI initiatives enhance rather than replace the human touch, guiding their service philosophy.
The views reflected in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organization or its member firms.
