Artificial intelligence should be harnessed to promote the cultural values and capabilities of humankind,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in his address during the Heads of State Session held alongside the AI IMPACT SUMMIT 2026 in New Delhi, India.
Addressing fellow leaders, President Dissanayake said that if AI is limited to a few select languages and perspectives, it risks overlooking the world’s unique cultural diversity.
“For countries like India and Sri Lanka, their language and culture is the foundation of respect and trust,” he said, calling for inclusivity in the AI technology space.
President Dissanayake said Sri Lanka is prepared to move forward in partnership with other nations by sharing common values and learning from one another to promote ethical artificial intelligence that leaves no one behind.
He said the world has reached a moment that requires confident and decisive action, stressing the need for a collaborative spirit. No country, he noted, can build an AI-ready future alone.
The AI IMPACT SUMMIT 2026 in New Delhi is held under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
President Dissanayake attended the summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. On Tuesday evening (Feb. 18), he joined a state banquet hosted by the Indian prime minister for visiting heads of state.
The main session of the summit was attended by Prime Minister Modi, President Dissanayake, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, and leaders of approximately 100 major global technology companies.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi said India represents one in every six people worldwide and is home to the world’s largest youth population, positioning the country as a central hub for modern technology. He said India is both a leading developer of new technologies and among the fastest to adopt them. (Newswire)
