{"id":243359,"date":"2025-09-09T01:24:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T19:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=243359"},"modified":"2025-10-06T00:37:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T19:07:42","slug":"sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Vipula Wanigasekera<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Dr. Vipula Wanigasekera<\/p><\/div>\n

In the 21st century, intelligence is no longer the sole preserve of human wisdom. It now includes the vast realms of data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). Yet intelligence on its own is not enough. The same brilliance that split the atom also created fear of annihilation. The same ingenuity that mapped every corner of the Earth has failed to safeguard it.<\/p>\n

The urgent challenge before us is to align intelligence with sustainability \u2014 intelligence that respects ecological limits, empowers communities, and ensures resilience for future generations.<\/p>\n

Sustainable intelligence goes beyond being \u201csmart.\u201d It is about being wise. We can see this progression in three layers:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Data Intelligence \u2013 gathering and analyzing information.<\/p>\n

2. Artificial Intelligence \u2013 learning, predicting, automating.<\/p>\n

3. Sustainable Intelligence \u2013 embedding ethics, equity, and ecology.<\/p>\n

Nature itself models this. In a forest, trees process carbon, exchange nutrients, and even \u201ccommunicate\u201d underground. They do not optimize for growth alone but for the survival of the entire ecosystem. That is sustainable intelligence.<\/p>\n

We live in a time when every human choice reverberates across the planet. The statistics are sobering:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

* Plastic: Over 400 million metric tons are produced annually, with only 9% recycled. Up to 10 million tons flow into oceans each year.<\/p>\n

* Climate: By 2030, climate change could push 100 million people into poverty (World Bank).<\/p>\n

* AI: By the same year, AI could add $15.7 trillion to the global economy (PwC), while millions of jobs vanish.<\/p>\n

* Data: By 2025, the world will generate 463 exabytes daily, yet less than 0.5% will be analyzed.<\/p>\n

We live amid abundant intelligence but scarce wisdom. This is why sustainability must anchor AI. Aligned with ethics, AI can be our greatest ally; misaligned, it becomes a threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question is no longer whether we can build powerful AI systems \u2014 it\u2019s whether we can build them responsibly,\u201d said Georgi Dimitrov, CEO at\u00a0Fantasy AI.<\/a>\u00a0\u201cWithout human-centered values and sustainability at the core, intelligence alone becomes a liability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Encouraginglyhowever, AI is already shaping sustainable futures<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

* Climate & Environment: Drones in Kenya boost farm yields by 30% while conserving resources; Microsoft\u2019s Planetary Computer enables real-time ecosystem monitoring.<\/p>\n

* Energy & Infrastructure: Denmark uses AI to balance wind and solar, reducing waste. Singapore applies predictive maintenance to prevent failures in water and transport systems.<\/p>\n

* Disaster Resilience: AI forecasts floods in Bangladesh 10 days ahead, while machine learning in California predicts wildfire spread.<\/p>\n

* Social Inclusion: Voice recognition aids people with disabilities; in India, AI expands credit access for small entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Here, AI augments humanity. It is not about replacing humans but helping societies live sustainably and inclusively.<\/p>\n

That said, wisdom also demands confronting risks:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

* Training advanced AI consumes massive energy.<\/p>\n

* Bias may skew disaster response toward wealthy regions.<\/p>\n

* Up to 85 million jobs may disappear by 2026, even as new ones emerge.<\/p>\n

* Cybersecurity threats grow with AI dependence.<\/p>\n

* Ethical dilemmas arise \u2014 should AI recommend relocating entire communities?<\/p>\n

Here are pathways to Sustainable Intelligence<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Solutions are emerging:<\/p>\n

* Green AI \u2013 energy-efficient models.<\/p>\n

* Circular Economy AI \u2013 turning waste into resources, as in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

* Ethical Charters \u2013 auditing AI for ecological and social impacts.<\/p>\n

* Hybrid Governance \u2013 Finland uses AI-assisted participatory budgeting.<\/p>\n

* Cultural Integration \u2013 New Zealand recognizes the Whanganui River as a legal person, embedding values beyond economics.<\/p>\n

Choosing Our Future<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By 2050, two paths are possible. In one, unsustainable intelligence drives energy hunger, job loss, climate displacement, and monopolized data. In the other, sustainable intelligence powers climate-smart cities, co-governance, inclusive growth, and resilient communities.<\/p>\n

The choice is not tomorrow\u2019s. It is today\u2019s. Humanity\u2019s survival depends less on how much intelligence we possess, and more on how wisely we use it. Sustainable intelligence is not only a technical journey but a moral one \u2014 aligning data and AI with compassion, fairness, and stewardship.<\/p>\n

Our task as innovators and leaders is clear: not just to build smarter machines, but to nurture wiser societies. Let us not merely advance artificial intelligence. Let us cultivate sustainable intelligence.<\/p>\n

*This is a speech made by Dr Vipula Wanigasekera at the 3<\/i>rd<\/sup><\/i><\/span> Business and ICT International Research\u00a0 <\/span>Conference of Esoft University on 8 Sept 2025.\u00a0 <\/span>He is a former Diplomat, Head of Tourism Authority, Academic, Author, Youtuber, Meditation and Reiki healer<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2368,"featured_media":231192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\nSustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-08T19:54:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-05T19:07:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"331\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Vipula Wanigasekera\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Vipula Wanigasekera\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/\",\"name\":\"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-08T19:54:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-05T19:07:42+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8d77801e05aecb792177346dc5bb000c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg\",\"width\":550,\"height\":331},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8d77801e05aecb792177346dc5bb000c\",\"name\":\"Vipula Wanigasekera\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8beffd7497b7209c0a6b28b599507f15ff8017d2f604c5925916751589ce261a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8beffd7497b7209c0a6b28b599507f15ff8017d2f604c5925916751589ce261a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Vipula Wanigasekera\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/drvwan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[…]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2025-09-08T19:54:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-05T19:07:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":550,"height":331,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Vipula Wanigasekera","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Vipula Wanigasekera","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/","name":"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-08T19:54:04+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-05T19:07:42+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8d77801e05aecb792177346dc5bb000c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg","width":550,"height":331},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sustainable-intelligence-data-ai-for-a-resilient-future\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sustainable Intelligence: Data & AI For A Resilient Future"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8d77801e05aecb792177346dc5bb000c","name":"Vipula Wanigasekera","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8beffd7497b7209c0a6b28b599507f15ff8017d2f604c5925916751589ce261a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8beffd7497b7209c0a6b28b599507f15ff8017d2f604c5925916751589ce261a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Vipula Wanigasekera"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/drvwan\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Artificial-Intelligence.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2368"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243359"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":243736,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243359\/revisions\/243736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}