The Man is back from the AI Impact summit in Delhi, and is as excited as a schoolboy who has just witnessed the ‘Elephant Toothpaste’ experiment.
He had been part of a delegation headed by the President, whose address to the Leaders’ Session underscored Sri Lanka’s need of the moment, which is to fully embrace AI.
And he was particularly inspired by AKD’s thoughts on ‘this unique moment when artificial intelligence is already transforming economies, governance systems, and societies’. Thus, ‘we are at a critical moment which requires us to act with purpose and vision in a confident and unwavering manner.’
Exactly what I have been saying, says The Man. So on the flight back I had a deep dive with ChatGPT about how said artificial intelligence is a wake-up call for politicians and business tycoons to change their ways and act for the greater good!
With a flourish, he shows Diogenes and the banker buddy an infographic that ChatGPT created to illustrate how AI can drive accountability and growth by linking government, the media, and wealth-creators.
It took a bit of back and forth, he says, prompts and clarifications, but it then took less than ten seconds to create, which itself tells us something about AI’s capabilities, and what that means for the future.
This is the new astrology, he says. Because whereas politicians and businessmen once never made a decision without first consulting the likes of Madam Moonbeam (for better or worse!) now they turn to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Grok.
Including the media, he adds sourly, referring to a recent scurrilous deep-fake AI video of himself supposedly being interviewed by one of Colombo’s celebrity media pundits.
Which is why, he says, we must all take note of what the President said: “AI technology is a transformative force that creates a massive impact on national growth trajectories, just as industrialisation did in past centuries.”
“Countries that fall behind may be further impacted by global growth and new economic opportunities, putting at risk the inclusive, equitable and sustainable development goals we aspire to.”
So there we have it, says The Man. The country’s movers and shakers must harness and exploit AI to rebuild the economy and create greater trust in our public and private institutions!
The writing is on the wall!
Meanwhile, Diogenes’ treasured VIP tuk-tuk has been stolen, and although it’s been eight years since he was a humble three-wheeler driver running errands for The Man, the loss has hit him hard.
With its pristine leather seats, ebony trim, diamanté accents, gold leaf and sharkskin roof, it was a beloved reminder of his onwards and upwards journey along life’s rocky road!
And it was likely not just a passing opportunist, since the miscreant had the tech to find and disable both the Apple AirTags, which means it is probably already in a container heading north or east.
Ah well, he thinks, it’s a sad loss, but also a lesson learned the hard way, that we should properly safeguard hard-won good fortune, and never take it for granted.