Abubakker Bakthathi is the Founder of Paralox Media, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered digital solutions agency based in Sri Lanka. A software engineer by background, he has built a career at the intersection of technology, creativity, and AI. What began as a passion for computers and problem-solving evolved into freelancing during his university years, laying the foundation for his entrepreneurial journey.
Today, Abubakker serves as an entrepreneur, AI consultant, trainer, and creative director, helping businesses, universities, and organisations adopt AI in practical and meaningful ways. Guided by the belief that technology should enhance rather than replace human potential, he continues to champion solutions that create lasting business value.
You describe your entrepreneurial journey as beginning long before Paralox Media was officially registered. How did your early years as a freelance software engineer shape the way you lead the company today?
My entrepreneurial journey began during university, where I started freelancing to support my own expenses. What began as a small side hustle with a close friend soon grew into something much bigger. By focusing on quality, creativity, and delivering value, we gradually expanded from working with small businesses to collaborating with established brands.
After graduating, I began my career as a software engineer, gaining valuable experience in technology, teamwork, and business operations. However, when my company underwent an AI-driven transformation and eventually closed, I unexpectedly lost my job. Rather than viewing it as a setback, I saw it as an opportunity to pursue my own vision.
Driven by my passion for technology and innovation, I founded Paralox to create meaningful digital solutions that solve real business challenges. What started as freelancing evolved into a purpose-driven agency focused on helping businesses embrace the future through technology and AI.
You lost your software engineering job because of AI, yet went on to build an AI-driven agency. How did that experience transform your perspective on failure, innovation, and entrepreneurship?
Losing my job was undoubtedly challenging, but instead of fearing AI, I chose to understand it. I realised AI wasn’t the problem; the world was evolving and businesses needed to adapt. That experience taught me to see setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities for growth and redirection.
It also reshaped my perspective on innovation. Rather than asking whether AI would replace people, I began asking how it could create greater value for businesses and individuals. That mindset became the foundation of Paralox Media.
As an entrepreneur, I’ve learnt that success isn’t about resisting change but adapting to it. What initially felt like a setback ultimately became the catalyst for building a business that now helps organisations confidently integrate AI, improve productivity, and embrace the future.
How would you describe Paralox Media’s identity, and why have you chosen to build a multidisciplinary company instead of focusing on just one niche?
Paralox Media is more than a service provider – we’re a problem-solving company. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, we work closely with each client to understand their goals and challenges before recommending the right strategy.
Our multidisciplinary team brings together expertise in software development, AI automation, branding, digital marketing, content production, and creative design, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions that drive measurable business growth. Every project is guided by a simple question: how will this help the client’s business grow? If we don’t believe we can create meaningful value, we’re prepared to decline the project.
At its core, Paralox Media is an AI-powered digital solutions agency that combines technology, creativity, and strategy to help businesses achieve lasting results.
What philosophy guides your decision when choosing projects, and what connects all these seemingly diverse services under one vision?
Although our projects vary, they all share one purpose: solving real business problems. We choose projects based on the impact we can create, helping businesses improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, strengthen their brands, and embrace innovation.
We thrive on tackling diverse challenges because every project expands our expertise and enables us to deliver even better solutions in the future. Our vision is for Paralox Media to be the trusted partner businesses turn to when they need technology, creativity, or AI to solve complex problems.
Ultimately, we’re not in the business of selling services, we’re in the business of creating meaningful, measurable impact.
Where do you draw the line between using AI as a creative accelerator and allowing it to replace genuine originality?
I believe AI is one of the most powerful tools available today, particularly for startups and small businesses. It has made high-quality design, branding, websites, and marketing more accessible by reducing both time and cost.
However, AI is only as valuable as the way in which it is used. When businesses rely too heavily on AI-generated content without creativity or strategy, the result is often generic, low-quality work. At Paralox Media, we see AI as a creative accelerator – not a replacement for human creativity.
While AI can speed up workflows and generate ideas, the final creative decisions still require human insight, emotion, cultural understanding, and strategic thinking. Our role is to combine the right AI tools with human expertise to deliver work that is original, purposeful, and creates real value.
What are the biggest misconceptions people still have about AI, and what mindset shifts are essential for individuals and businesses hoping to stay relevant in the years ahead?
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that people think it’s just ChatGPT. In reality, ChatGPT is only one part of a much broader AI ecosystem that includes tools for software development, automation, data analysis, cybersecurity, content creation, and more.
Another misconception is that AI can work independently. The real value comes from knowing which AI models to use, how to write effective prompts, and how to combine different tools to solve specific problems. That’s why I encourage people to shift their mindset from asking, “Will AI replace me?” to “How can AI help me become better at what I do?”
For business leaders, the key isn’t adopting AI because it’s trendy – it’s integrating the right AI tools into the right workflows to improve productivity, enhance customer experiences, and solve real business challenges. The organisations that succeed will be those that use AI strategically, not simply the most AI tools.
Which human skills do you think will become even more valuable in an AI-driven economy?
Having experienced redundancy during the rise of AI, I understand why many people are concerned. However, I came to realise that AI isn’t simply replacing jobs, it’s transforming them. Like every major technological shift, it is creating new opportunities, with roles such as prompt engineer and AI automation specialist emerging in response to changing industry needs.
That’s why I encourage students to focus on building strong fundamentals. University isn’t just about learning to code; it’s about developing problem-solving skills, understanding software architecture, and thinking critically. While AI can generate code, it cannot replace the expertise needed to evaluate, improve, and build reliable systems.
Ultimately, I don’t believe the future belongs to those who compete against AI, but to those who learn to work alongside it. As AI automates repetitive tasks, human strengths, creativity, critical thinking, leadership, communication, and strategic decision-making will become even more valuable. The future is not about replacement, but transformation for those willing to keep learning and adapting.
What legacy do you hope to build over the next decade, both for Paralox Media and for Sri Lanka’s growing AI ecosystem?
Looking back at our first year, I’m proud of how far we’ve come – from freelancing with a close friend to building an AI-powered company that works with international partners and delivers real business value. However, I believe we’re only at the beginning of our journey.
Over the next decade, my vision is for Paralox Media to become one of Sri Lanka’s leading AI innovation companies, helping businesses adopt AI in practical and meaningful ways. Alongside consulting, we are investing in AI-powered SaaS products and exploring emerging technologies to prepare for the future.
Sri Lanka has incredible creative and technical talent, and our goal is to combine that talent with AI to create world-class solutions. Ultimately, I hope Paralox Media contributes to building Sri Lanka’s AI ecosystem by inspiring innovation, creating opportunities, and proving that a Sri Lankan company can compete on a global stage.
PHOTOS © ABUBAKKER BAKTHATHI