Editorial‘AI for all’ efforts must not leave any Hongkonger behind

The government is moving in the right direction, but every resident and sector must be able to benefit from the promise of AI

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The Cantonese-enabled HKChat, the city’s first home-grown large language model, is demonstrated during the global launch at the Lee Shau Kee Business Building of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on February 25, 2025. Photo: May Tse

SCMP Editorial

Published: 7:15am, 14 Apr 2026Updated: 1:53pm, 14 Apr 2026

Corrected [1:52pm, 14 Apr, 2026]

[1:52pm, 14 Apr, 2026]
This editorial has been updated with a clarification about the HKChat AI chatbot.

These days, it seems everything is artificial intelligence, but only the technically proficient and well-funded organisations can take advantage of AI’s full power. Therefore, the Hong Kong government must democratise its use lest people be left behind, missing out on its potential for enrichment and employment. The Hong Kong government is moving in the right direction by setting up a new AI research institute, along with multiple initiatives and funding channels to develop “AI for all”.

Recently, Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming said the Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute aims to strengthen the government’s technical capabilities while ensuring all residents and sectors benefit from the technology. Yesterday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the city hopes to boost its supercomputing power to reach the top tier of global AI hubs. In his keynote address to the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Wan Chai, Lee said officials are drafting a “comprehensive strategy that combines world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge research and development, and a culture of responsible innovation”.

Those are laudable and urgent goals considering how rapidly the field of AI is advancing. Hong Kong must ensure its people and economy are not left behind.

The institute is developing a viable blueprint to facilitate a full research and development chain, from upstream academic research at universities to midstream and downstream applications in the relevant industries. With HK$1 billion (US$127.7 million) from the government, it remains to be seen how much impact the institute can deliver.

It can certainly benefit from the government’s recent experience in setting up InnoHK, an initiative focusing on establishing research clusters in such fields as healthcare, AI and robotics. Among its successes has been project funding for the Cantonese-enabled HKChat, the city’s first home-grown AI chatbot built by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Centre (HKGAI)’s large language model, which was made available to the public in November.

The initiative and the new institute ought to work hand in hand. The government is currently overhauling school curriculums and vocational retraining programmes to teach students in different age groups to use the new technology. Under AI+, it aims to popularise the technology and enhance digital literacy across all levels of society, using a HK$50 million budget. It is a good model for promoting cooperation among the government, schools and the private sector. Developed economies are pushing for AI adoption. Hong Kong has made a good start, but it must stay competitive and move quickly.

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The government is moving in the right direction, but every resident and sector must be able to benefit from the promise of AI

The government is moving in the right direction, but every resident and sector must be able to benefit from the promise of AI