Local businesses urged to adapt as AI transforms online consumer behaviour - Business | Daily Mirror

Daily Mirror LK · 🇱🇰 public Sri Lanka · Aug 07, 2026 · 301 words · By Administrator

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What to know about Local businesses urged to adapt as AI transforms online consumer behaviour - Business

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how Sri Lankans search for information, discover brands and make purchasing decisions, signalling a fundamental shift that businesses can no longer afford to ignore, according to the Digital Outlook Sri Lanka…

Claims checked 6

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The study found AI has moved beyond being a niche technology to becoming part of everyday online behaviour, with more users relying on AI-powered tools to obtain information and complete daily tasks.

Common ground

The report noted that 81 percent of internet users now incorporate AI into their information-seeking habits, with a growing number bypassing traditional search engines altogether.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Local businesses urged to adapt as AI transforms online consumer behaviour - Business?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Based on a survey of 2,948 internet users across all 25 districts?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymirror.lk/business/Local-businesses-urged-to-adapt-as-AI-transf…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified Verified 1

verified

Claim 1: “Based on a survey of 2,948 internet users across all 25 districts”

VERIFIED

The Daily Mirror explicitly cites the 'Digital Outlook Sri Lanka 2026' report as being based on a survey of 2,948 respondents across all nine provinces and 25 districts.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amãna Bank is the first and only licensed commercial bank in Sri Lanka to conduct all its operations under the principles of Islamic banking and be fully disengaged from interest based transactions, o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amana_Bank_(Sri_Lanka)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — People's Bank is a state-owned commercial bank in Sri Lanka. The second largest commercial bank in Sri Lanka. Established on 1 July 1961, it has its head-offices at Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Stree…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Bank_(Sri_Lanka)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Tata Tiago EV is an electric vehicle produced by Tata Motors. Launched in September 2022, it is positioned as an entry-level electric hatchback in the Indian market. Based on the Tata Tiago, the e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Tiago_EV

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “81 percent of internet users now incorporate AI into their information-seeking habits”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the 'Digital Outlook Sri Lanka 2026' report is mentioned in other evidence (Claims 2 and 5), the specific statistic of 81% for AI incorporation is not explicitly repeated in the provided evidence snippets. The search results for this specific claim returned irrelevant data about the number 81 and general AI booms.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A constitutional crisis began in Sri Lanka when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed former president and member of parliament Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister on 26 October 2018 before formall…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Sri_Lankan_constitutional…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An AI boom is a period of rapid growth in the field of artificial intelligence. The most recent boom happened in the 2020s before seeing increased acceleration and media coverage. Generative AI techno…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_boom

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Sri Lankan consumers remain cautious, preferring cash on delivery over digital payments”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that Sri Lankan consumers prefer cash-on-delivery due to trust issues, while also noting a trend toward digital adoption.

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web search NEUTRAL — Many online consumers still prefer cash-on-delivery over digital payments due to trust issues with online transactions. To mitigate this, it is vital to offer multiple payment methods and transparent …
https://ceylononlineservices.com/blogs/news/how-to-navigate-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ecommerce development Sri Lanka: website cost (LKR 300K–3M), Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom, PayHere integration, delivery setup, conversion features & case studies.
https://hashtagcoders.lk/blogs/ecommerce-development-sri-lan…

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web search NEUTRAL — 51% of Sri Lankans likely to embrace new forms of payments, 68% find convenience and security of digital transactions drive adoption.
https://www.ft.lk/financial-services/Lankan-consumers-keen-t…

info

Claim 4: “smartphones remain the dominant digital device, owned by 92 percent of internet users”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence does not contain the 92% figure. One source mentions a different survey where only 47% of a specific sample used smartphones, but this does not directly contradict the claim as it is a different sample/timeframe. No corroborating evidence for the 92% figure was found in the provided text.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sri Lanka has a developing mixed economy. It was valued at LKR 32.7 trillion (around $109 billion) in 2025 by gross domestic product (GDP) and $371.27 billion by purchasing power parity (PPP) Sri Lan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Sri_Lanka

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sri Lankan Tamils (Tamil: இலங்கை தமிழர், ilankai tamiḻar or ஈழத் தமிழர், īḻat tamiḻar), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Tod…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Tamils

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “The report, jointly produced by the Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing and the University of Kelaniya’s Department of Marketing Management”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Daily Mirror, TOPnews.LK, and APIDM) confirm the report was a collaboration between the Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing (APIDM) and the University of Kelaniya.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — [1] Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC is a public limited company incorporated in Sri Lanka. The bank currently has 85 branches across Sri Lanka. A public limited liability company incorporated in Sri …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Asia_Bank

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Laptop ownership stood at 57 percent”

SINGLE SOURCE

No evidence in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries mentions the 57% laptop ownership statistic for Sri Lanka.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital, Colombo, were targeted in a series of coordinated IS-related terrorist suicide bombings.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Sri_Lanka_Easter_bombings

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Abans PLC, also known as Abans Group, is a Sri Lankan public limited company and a diversified conglomerate in Sri Lanka engaged in ICT, retail, manufacturing, logistics, commercial real estate and fi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abans

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC is a Sri Lankan holding company engaged in retailing and wholesale marketing home appliances and furniture. The company is also taking part in financial services and manufacturi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer_(Sri_Lanka)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.