A preliminary discussion and field inspection were held in Galgamuwa yesterday (13) to assess the feasibility of introducing an AI-powered early warning system to reduce human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka.

Environment Minister Dr Dammika Patabendi, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka and representatives from Huawei attended the programme.

The proposed system uses AI-powered cameras to detect wild elephants based on their size and movement patterns, alerting nearby residents through warning signals and messages before the animals enter villages.

The inspection focused on identifying suitable locations for the cameras and assessing how the technology could be adapted to Sri Lanka's geographical features and elephant movement patterns.