BCS Technology and Jaseci Labs have taken the first steps in transforming Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in Sri Lanka by setting up the country’s very first Centre of AI and Incubation Lab in collaboration with world-renowned inventor, scientist, professor, entrepreneur, and author Professor Jason Mars of the University of Michigan.
Headquartered in Australia and with over 20 years of experience, BCS Technology is a leading IT consulting firm and preferred technology partner for high-profile clients worldwide. With a workforce of over 50 employees in Sri Lanka and over 400 globally, the company delivers value to organisations by providing business solutions that leverage next-generation technologies including AI, Cloud, Blockchain, and Analytics. Its expertise enables these clients to run mission-critical systems with the latest technology innovations to achieve better business outcomes. Its extensive expertise in emerging technologies has been recognised by Gartner as a top consulting firm for Blockchain consulting. In addition to Sri Lanka, BCS Technology has offices in India, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Mexico, Canada, and Guyana. Professor Jason Mars is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan where he directs one of the best labs in the world to be trained in AI and system design. Prof. Mars is also the President of Jaseci Labs, and Co-Founder of Myca.ai, the cutting-edge AI startup that developed the world’s most advanced productivity AI.
The Incubation Lab, which will be jointly funded by BCS Technology and Jaseci Labs, aims to build a world-class AI capability and think tank in Sri Lanka and make institutional knowledge scalable. The lab will help bring global credibility to the team as one that is ahead of the curve in this fast-changing area of technology. It will create tools and testbed artefacts for Jaseci-BCS GenFusion Lab and build market-relevant holy grail proof points, products, and demonstrations. This will enable it to create and attract a top-tier workforce for scaling. Jaseci Labs will facilitate the knowledge requirement under the guidance of Prof. Mars with Jaseci language being used for the development of AI projects. BCS Technology will screen and select University of Moratuwa students for the lab with the help of Prof. Jason Mars. The project will be led by Prof. Jason Mars and Mr. Asim Salim – Director- Technology of BCS Technology while Dr.V. Logeeshan – Senior Lecturer of the University of Moratuwa will be the Sri Lankan Tech Lead.
With work experience in Google and Intel as well as achievements including raising $62 million in venture capital and building businesses valued over $200 million, Prof. Mars has devoted his career to solving difficult real-world problems, building some of the world’s most sophisticated systems for AI, computer vision, and natural language processing. He is also the author of ‘Breaking Bots: Inventing a New Voice in the AI Revolution’ and has created Jaseci Labs as a vehicle for positive technological impact. Jaseci Labs is a company that is deeply committed to advancing the frontiers of AI technology and making this knowledge universally accessible. At the core of its mission is the development and dissemination of cutting-edge AI solutions through an end-to-end open-source framework that empowers developers to seamlessly integrate advanced AI capabilities into their products, fostering rapid and robust development at scale. Beyond the Jaseci technology stack, Jaseci Labs is committed to open knowledge-sharing as they actively engage in publishing their findings, contributing to open-source software, and providing technical education and talks, ensuring that their innovations in AI are not just transformative but also widely accessible.
Over the years, Sri Lanka has steadily become one of the leading ICT hubs in Asia due to its highly skilled talent pool that has continued to demonstrate innovation, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities on par with other leading ICT destinations across the world. Driven by its vision of becoming South Asia’s center of excellence in technology and related disciplines, the University of Moratuwa has built a reputation as the overall best university in Sri Lanka today. The university has produced world-class graduates in technological fields who have excelled in postgraduate programs in the world’s best universities and built successful careers in leading local and global organisations.
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BCS 1: Prof. Jason Mars, Associate Professor, University of Michigan
