Unleash the power of data for a smarter future.
The Sri Lanka Section of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT is organsing the AI & Data Analytics Summit 2026, a full-day conference bringing together business leaders, AI practitioners, researchers, and technology innovators to explore the future of Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Digital Transformation in Sri Lanka.
Speakers
Dr. Sadeep Jayasumana (Chief Scientist at Octave, Formerly from Google Brain)
Sasakthi Abeysinghe (Co-Founder of Aloud acquired by YouTube)
Buddhika Kottahachchi (Co-Founder of Aloud acquired by YouTube)
Prof. Lasith Gunawardena (Chairman, Sri Lanka Section of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT)
Thushera Kawdawatta (Managing Director, Sysco LABS)
Waruna Sri Dhanapala (Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy, Sri Lanka)
Manjula Sirimane (Senior Partner, D. L. & F. De Saram)
Dr. Radheeka Jayasundara (Principal Data Scientist, Octave)
Asela Perera (Group CIO, Dialog Axiata PLC)
Kugan Kuganathan (Group Chief Information Officer, Janashakthi Group)
C.D. Athuruliya (Co-founder & Principal AI Engineer, ConscientAI)
Affan Ahamed (Founder, Linkify)
Dr. Lahiru Ariyasinghe (Head of Competency Excellence, Data Engineering & Data Science, Axiata Digital Labs)
Nisal Periaperuma (CTO, Dossiers.wiki)
Ishan Wijetunga (Chief Product Manager, LinearSix)
Steve Dodd (Chief Digital Officer, MAS Holdings)
Shehan Warusuvitane (Joint Country Head, Virtusa)
Harendra Samarasinghe (CEO, MillenniumIT ESP)
Eichiro Alanzo Doll (CTO, EngenuityAI)
Adithya Narasinghe (CTO, Linkify)
Agenda
8:00am - Registration
8:30am -Welcome by BCS President
8:35am -“Thoughts on the Importance of AI” — Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy
8:40am -Agenda Introduction by the Compere
8:45am -“GenAI and Agentic AI: The Future of Digital Intelligence” — Keynote by Dr. Sadeep Jayasumana
9:15am -Fireside Chat on Expressive AI Dubbing featuring Sasakthi Abeysinghe and Buddhika Kottahachchi, moderated by Prof. Lasith Gunawardena
9:45am -“Great Connective Displacement: When Cognition Scales, Wisdom Workers Become the Bridge” — Thushera Kawdawatta
10:05am -Tea Break
10:25am -Panel Discussion: “Operationalizing AI: Is Sri Lanka Ready?” featuring Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Manjula Sirimane, Thushera Kawdawatta, Dr. Radheeka Jayasundara, and Asela Perera, moderated by Kugan Kuganathan
11:05am - AI Session by CD Athuruliya, Co-founder & Principal AI Engineer, ConscientAI
11:25am - “The Social Selling Edge: Driving Organizational Growth with LinkedIn SSI” — Affan Ahamed
11:45am -“Scalable Enterprise Digital Transformation in the Agentic AI Era” — Dr. Lahiru Ariyasinghe
12:45pm -Lunch Break
1:25pm -“The Evolution of Software Engineering: A Guide to Effective Vibe Coding” — Nisal Periaperuma
2:25pm -“Architect Your AI Advantage” — Ishan Wijetunga
2:45pm -“Shaping Corporate AI Strategy: Do’s and Don’ts for CIOs” — Steve Dodd
3:05pm -Tea Break
3:20pm -“How AI Is Reinventing the Software Services Industry” featuring Shehan Warusuvitane, Harendra Samarasinghe, and Saurabh Gupta, moderated by Eichiro Alanzo Doll
4:00pm -“AI-Powered Web Design: From Concept to Launch” — Adithya Narasinghe
5:00pm -Vote of Thanks by Deshan, Co-chair
Synopsis
The future is data-driven. Be at the forefront of innovation.
The AI & Data Analytics Summit 2026 is a premier conference designed to empower C-Level business leaders, senior IT professionals, developers, researchers, and AI practitioners with insights into building effective AI and data strategies that create measurable business value.
Organised by the BCS Sri Lanka Section, the summit explores key topics including Generative AI, Agentic AI, Machine Learning, Data Science, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, and real-world enterprise applications of AI. Industry experts and thought leaders will share best practices, practical use cases, and strategies for driving digital transformation and innovation through AI and Data Analytics.
What to expect:
- Keynotes and thought leadership sessions from leading AI experts.
- Practical “how-to” demonstrations and real-world case studies.
- Panel discussions on Sri Lanka’s AI readiness and adoption.
- Networking opportunities with industry leaders and practitioners.
- Insights into the future of software engineering and AI-assisted development.
- Hands-on exposure to emerging AI-powered tools and technologies.
Whether you are a business decision-maker, developer, entrepreneur, researcher, or technology enthusiast, this summit offers valuable insights into how AI is reshaping industries and creating new opportunities for innovation and growth. (AI Summit)
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
This meeting is conducted in accordance with the BCS Code of Conduct for Meetings.
BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today
Please note, if you have any accessibility needs, please let us know via groups@bcs.uk, and we’ll work with you to make suitable arrangements.
BCS privacy notice: your data will be processed by BCS in accordance with our data privacy notice.
Photography: by attending this event, you may be photographed or filmed. Please speak to a member of staff if you do not wish to be included.
For overseas delegates who wish to attend the event, please note that BCS does not issue invitation letters.
This event is brought to you by: Sri Lanka Section
