S
ri Lanka has been ranked 72nd out of 138 countries in the inaugural Global Index of Responsible AI 2024.
The Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) is the first tool to establish globally relevant benchmarks for responsible AI practices, assessing countries worldwide. This study represents the largest global data collection on responsible AI to date, covering 138 countries, including 41 from Africa.
Sri Lanka received an overall score of 10.92, placing it 72nd globally.
In South Asia, India and Pakistan ranked higher than Sri Lanka, with scores of 38.51 and 13.19, respectively.
Responsible AI involves designing, developing, deploying, and governing AI in ways that respect human rights and uphold AI ethics throughout the AI lifecycle and value chain.
“It requires all actors in the national AI ecosystem to be accountable for the human, social, and environmental impacts of their decisions. The responsible design, deployment, and governance of AI must be proportionate to its purpose and meet the technological needs of the individuals and societies it serves,” the report stated.
The Global Index on Responsible AI assessed 19 thematic areas of responsible AI, clustered into three dimensions: Human Rights and AI, Responsible AI Governance, and Responsible AI Capacities. Each thematic area evaluated the performance of three pillars of the responsible AI ecosystem: Government frameworks, Government actions, and Non-state actors’ initiatives.
Sri Lanka did not score above 20 in any of these pillars or dimensions.
The country scored relatively high in Responsible AI Governance and Non-state actors, with scores of 19.56 and 15.79, respectively. However, it performed poorly in the Human Rights and AI dimension, with a score of 9.95.
The first edition of the GIRAI revealed that global progress towards responsible AI is lagging far behind the development and adoption of AI.
“There are significant gaps across many regions and in numerous core areas of responsible AI, particularly in protecting the rights of vulnerable or marginalized groups,” the report noted.
The data for this report covers the period from November 2021 to November 2023. (NF)
