Sri Lanka has called for a global recalibration of how artificial intelligence is approached in the workplace, with Labour Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando telling the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva that AI should “uplift humanity to greater heights” rather than displace workers.
In a statement reported by Daily Mirror, Mr Fernando said Sri Lanka supports international cooperation on fair value distribution and on securing living wages within AI-integrated production systems. He framed AI as a “multiplier” for productivity, a “catalyst” for moving workers into higher-value roles and a “transformative force” with particular potential to modernise agriculture and the informal sector.
He cited recent domestic research showing that around 22.8 percent of Sri Lanka’s workforce is already exposed to generative AI, particularly in professional and office occupations, and said the country is pursuing an “AI-first” approach under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s digital-transformation agenda. The Minister said an expert committee is also reviewing broader labour reforms aimed at inclusive and sustainable growth.
On standards, Mr Fernando confirmed Sri Lanka’s ratification in May of ILO Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work and said the government is preparing to ratify Convention No. 188 on Work in Fishing, which sets binding standards on working agreements, accommodation, food, medical care and social security for fishing-vessel crews.
The address built on his June 9 bilateral with ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo on the sidelines of the same conference, where the C188 ratification track was first signalled to the Director-General. The 114th ILC runs from 1 to 12 June 2026, with extended programming through mid-June.
