https://www.scmp.com/rss/506908/feed Adam Au is the general counsel at a multinational corporation. He also teaches courses on data privacy and artificial intelligence at the University of Hong Kong, blending his interests in law, business and technology. Adam holds an economics degree from Brown University, a law degree from Oxford, and an MBA from MIT. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Adam Au Adam Au In January, Hong Kong’s financial regulator warned the public about an unlicensed “AI-based quantum high-frequency trading” scheme. While this was a case of old-school fraud dressed in new-tech clothing, it highlighted a deeper truth: where sophisticated technology meets finance, the potential for both innovation and harm grows exponentially. The real challenge is not these crude scams, but the legitimate, powerful AI agents now arriving in the marketplace. When this digital delegate makes a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344608/ai-agents-advance-hong-kong-should-shape-rules-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344608/ai-agents-advance-hong-kong-should-shape-rules-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Adam Au,Felicia Feiran Chen Adam Au,Felicia Feiran Chen The deepfake scandal at the University of Hong Kong – hundreds of non-consensual, sexually explicit composites reportedly found on a student’s laptop – feels like a sequel to a much older story from 2008, when intimate photographs copied from actor Edison Chen’s computer were leaked on the internet. Then, the harm was privacy invasion: real images, created in private, thrust into public view. Now, the harm arrives through fabricated images: generated by artificial intelligence (AI) with enough... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322562/deepfake-porn-scandal-hong-kong-exposes-need-update-laws?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322562/deepfake-porn-scandal-hong-kong-exposes-need-update-laws?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Adam Au Adam Au Hong Kong students have once again demonstrated their academic prowess on the global stage, with 31 perfect scores in the International Baccalaureate exam. A record number of top scorers in the recent Diploma of Secondary Education exam results further highlight the city’s ability to churn out bright minds. As with previous years, a disproportionate number of top test-takers have chosen medicine as their career path. Why do our most capable students continue to limit themselves to a single... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3320000/how-top-scores-are-leading-hong-kongs-brightest-down-narrow-path?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3320000/how-top-scores-are-leading-hong-kongs-brightest-down-narrow-path?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Adam Au Adam Au In a striking admission, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned users not to “trust that much” in ChatGPT. It highlights a chilling disconnect: if the chief architect of one of the world’s most celebrated artificial intelligence (AI) systems is warning against his creation, why are governments rushing to embed similar technologies into critical operations? The contradiction reflects a deeper tension where innovation outpaces understanding and regulation. The dynamic played out in the recent US debate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317750/world-swept-ai-hype-hong-kong-can-be-voice-reason?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317750/world-swept-ai-hype-hong-kong-can-be-voice-reason?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Felicia Feiran Chen,Adam Au Felicia Feiran Chen,Adam Au It all started with a routine-looking link from a securities firm. Customers who clicked on it found their trading accounts hijacked by scammers, who ended up stealing HK$46 million (US$5.86 million) in a market manipulation and phishing operation. Last week, Hong Kong police arrested eight in connection with the crime. The fraudsters had impersonated licensed brokers, stole login details, and pumped and dumped obscure stocks through stolen accounts. While phishing is not new, the scam... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316212/hong-kong-learning-deepfake-crime-epidemic-upon-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316212/hong-kong-learning-deepfake-crime-epidemic-upon-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:30:09 +0000 In January 2023, Arizona resident Jennifer DeStefano picked up a call from an unknown number, assuming it was the doctor’s office. Instead, she heard someone who sounded like her daughter crying as a man shouted in the background: “Lay down and put your head back.” “Mom, these bad men have me. Help me! Help me!” she thought she heard her daughter plead. DeStefano bargained with the caller, who demanded US$1 million, but eventually settled on US$50,000. Before the exchange of money, another... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305849/hong-kong-must-lead-reimagining-safety-ai-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305849/hong-kong-must-lead-reimagining-safety-ai-age?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 22:30:08 +0000 In late January, a Chinese start-up unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) model that it says outperforms its peers. As familiar as this sounds, the company in question is not DeepSeek. Rather, what the appearance of another Chinese AI model like Moonshot’s Kimi k1.5 shows is that China’s rapid AI iterations are no anomaly – they are the new norm. When DeepSeek took the world by storm recently, it also ignited a geopolitical firestorm. Within days of the debut of its R1 model, US federal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3300139/why-us-should-stop-trying-target-chinese-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3300139/why-us-should-stop-trying-target-chinese-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:30:08 +0000 The rise of DeepSeek, a low-cost alternative to OpenAI’s model, has ignited a global conversation about making artificial intelligence (AI) more widely accessible. The affordability of such a platform is a godsend to businesses seeking cutting-edge tools on a budget. As these technologies spread like wildfire, they raise alarms in the field of education: What happens when AI becomes cheap, commonplace and unregulated? The answer is a mix of opportunity and peril. Hong Kong’s education system,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3297406/will-ai-empower-students-or-undermine-learning-choice-ours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3297406/will-ai-empower-students-or-undermine-learning-choice-ours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:30:08 +0000 As artificial intelligence (AI) seeps into every facet of society, Hong Kong stands at a crossroads. Will we shape AI on our own terms, or be shaped by it? Current discussions focus on attracting AI investment and talent, without sufficient attention to where and how AI should be applied. Other Asian cities are developing tailored AI models aligned with local contexts. Singapore has taken a unique approach with Southeast Asian Languages In One Network (SEA-LION), an open-source AI model designed... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3265183/hong-kong-has-chance-shape-ai-based-its-own-values?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3265183/hong-kong-has-chance-shape-ai-based-its-own-values?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s 2022 policy address brimmed with optimism, buoyed by hopes that a long-awaited border opening would see Hong Kong usher in a new era of growth. Even as China began to open up, the city seemed poised to reprise its role as an international hub and recover from three years of pandemic disruption. Yet one year on, the reality has turned out to be more challenging than anticipated. Geopolitical divisions, superpower competition and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239300/john-lees-policy-address-wise-prioritise-hong-kongs-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239300/john-lees-policy-address-wise-prioritise-hong-kongs-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:30:21 +0000 While growing mistrust among jurisdictions threaten to choke data flows and stall progress, a new agreement between Hong Kong and mainland China now offers a glimmer of hope for greater connectivity. The memorandum of understanding that Hong Kong and the mainland signed on June 29 enables data to flow among the Greater Bay Area cities. The impact of the agreement far outstrips its modest name, tapping into open data flows and digital exchange at a time when much of the world is pulling up... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228480/why-hong-kong-mainland-data-transfer-pact-beacon-hope-darkening-digital-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228480/why-hong-kong-mainland-data-transfer-pact-beacon-hope-darkening-digital-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:15:13 +0000 According to Brandolini’s law, debunking misinformation demands more effort than creating it. This internet axiom could not find a more apt manifestation than in the era of artificial intelligence. When a lawyer from a US law firm submitted an affidavit based on spurious legal research generated by ChatGPT, many joined the chorus of concerns about the output of generative AI tools. It’s easy to see this as primarily a legal issue. Mainstream media is quick to denounce those who failed to gauge... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222773/ensuring-ai-safe-and-beneficial-all-demands-more-greater-regulation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222773/ensuring-ai-safe-and-beneficial-all-demands-more-greater-regulation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2023 19:30:16 +0000 If asked why they downloaded the Hong Kong government’s eHealth app, many people would probably say it was only to maintain their vaccination records during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the government wants to revamp the app to popularise its use. Permanent Secretary for Health Thomas Chan Chung-ching recently announced the upcoming launch of the new eHealth+ system in the second half of this year. It aims to connect the entire healthcare ecosystem, including hospitals, primary healthcare service... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218310/how-digital-healthcare-can-help-hong-kong-lower-costs-improve-efficiency-and-integrate-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218310/how-digital-healthcare-can-help-hong-kong-lower-costs-improve-efficiency-and-integrate-better?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:15:08 +0000 Lately, Hong Kong has experienced a renaissance of domestic films. A Guilty Conscience, a legal drama starring Dayo Wong, amassed a record box office. The film du jour, however, must be To My Nineteen-year-old Self, directed by Mabel Cheung. The documentary takes the audience on a journey through the lives of a group of teenagers at Ying Wa Girls’ School. The project was heralded with great fanfare, perhaps because the film was book-ended by some of the most memorable moments of the past decade:... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3210129/controversy-over-mabel-cheung-documentary-shows-importance-consent-digital-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3210129/controversy-over-mabel-cheung-documentary-shows-importance-consent-digital-age?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:30:08 +0000 We live in an age of technological bonanzas. From virtual learning to wireless exchange, we are consumed by the euphoria of technological convenience. Such astonishing developments underline how beholden we have become to technology. Pandemic shutdowns galvanised education innovation and online learning has become an accepted alternative to classroom learning. But online interaction cannot simulate the experience of speaking face to face. Even with the much-touted metaverse, it is quixotic to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208914/inevitable-rise-chatgpt-and-other-ai-tools-must-be-managed-rather-resisted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208914/inevitable-rise-chatgpt-and-other-ai-tools-must-be-managed-rather-resisted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Feb 2023 17:00:12 +0000 Milton Friedman, recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in economics and an advocate of free-market capitalism, was of the view that government intervention tends to make things worse. While Friedman’s position might have been apt during his time, what Hong Kong needs now is active government intervention, especially in the realm of talent retention. We can ill afford to wait and see how the economic situation might unfold. At the much-heralded financial summit in Hong Kong earlier this month, our... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3199463/hong-kongs-own-talent-hold-key-telling-hong-kongs-story-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3199463/hong-kongs-own-talent-hold-key-telling-hong-kongs-story-better?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Nov 2022 00:15:10 +0000 As soon as Typhoon Mulan departed, Hong Kong returned to the deadening heat that was commonplace for most of July. It is hardly an anomaly as, nowadays, extreme weather events are driving narratives about climate change across the world. That is why the US Inflation Reduction Act is significant. Despite all the concern about climate change, the US was all talk and no action for the longest time. Every climate proposal over the past 30 years was found lacking, and any wholesale proposed change... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3189192/us-inflation-reduction-act-flawed-vital-step-climate-change-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3189192/us-inflation-reduction-act-flawed-vital-step-climate-change-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Aug 2022 17:30:26 +0000 Long before the government proposed introducing a health code system on a par with the mainland health codes, Hong Kong people were already accustomed to daily Covid-19 news. Now, save for face masks and travel restrictions, Hong Kong society seems to have largely returned to normal. Concerns have arisen over whether this announcement is a ploy to keep Hong Kong citizens under surveillance, a thinly veiled attempt by the new administration to ingratiate themselves with the mainland authorities,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185275/why-hong-kongs-covid-19-health-code-not-some-faustian-bargain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185275/why-hong-kongs-covid-19-health-code-not-some-faustian-bargain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2022 00:45:10 +0000 “No innovation, no future.” During his journey to becoming Hong Kong’s chief executive-elect, John Lee Ka-chiu has minced no words in highlighting innovation’s role in shaping our future. Central to his proposed policies is the ambition to develop Hong Kong into a technology centre to enhance the city’s competitive advantage. Lee delivered his message as Hong Kong was recovering from the worst wave of the Covid-19 pandemic to date. Nevertheless, it resonated with the call for broader government... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3178199/how-hong-kong-can-become-centre-east-west-data-exchange?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3178199/how-hong-kong-can-become-centre-east-west-data-exchange?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 May 2022 08:30:21 +0000 Over centuries, Hong Kong has been built by people in transit, from British opium traders and colonial grandees to waves of Chinese migrants and expatriates. The small island has given outsiders access to rising Chinese wealth, skilfully cultivating its role as intermediary between East and West. Yet today Hong Kong’s service-centric economy stands outdated in comparison to its tech-focused, innovation-driven neighbour Shenzhen, while the government’s botched response to Omicron has led to an... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3174359/reinvigorating-hong-kongs-economy-starts-embracing-global-mindset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3174359/reinvigorating-hong-kongs-economy-starts-embracing-global-mindset?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Apr 2022 23:45:21 +0000 Switzerland last year began to accept non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on its new digital exchange platform. Initially spurned as a bubble, NFTs are now expanding their frontiers across the cryptocurrency community and the mainstream alike. NFTs are the harbinger of a new digital era in the form of the metaverse. In principle, the metaverse is a virtual-reality space in which users can interact in a programmed environment. Incorporating virtual and augmented reality to simulate real-life experience,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3165194/get-best-out-metaverse-hong-kong-needs-long-term-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3165194/get-best-out-metaverse-hong-kong-needs-long-term-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Feb 2022 22:45:11 +0000 Recently, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor indicated that she intends to set up new bureaus for housing and culture. At the same time, Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong has urged Hong Kong to expand its international reach in arts and culture and promote deeper integration with China’s rich cultural heritage. This sentiment was echoed by Beijing’s 14th five-year plan. There is a public consensus that housing has been the Achilles’ heel of every government administration in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3149800/how-culture-bureau-can-help-hong-kong-become-arts-powerhouse-once?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3149800/how-culture-bureau-can-help-hong-kong-become-arts-powerhouse-once?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Sep 2021 00:45:17 +0000 Adam Au Adam Au The recent HK$5,000 (US$640) shopping voucher scheme introduced by the Hong Kong government has sent the public on a temporary spending spree. Having rejected another cash handout, the government’s electronic voucher plan was conceived to stimulate the local economy. On the surface, it has worked. Unlike other economic policies that take time to show their effects, distributing vouchers is normally a quick-fix fiscal policy. During the global financial crisis in 2008, cities such as Chengdu and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144765/why-e-voucher-scheme-perfect-gateway-hong-kong-embrace-digital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144765/why-e-voucher-scheme-perfect-gateway-hong-kong-embrace-digital?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Aug 2021 22:45:18 +0000 Adam Au Adam Au Jazmine Boykins is a 20-year-old digital artist based in North Carolina, US. Her online artwork, while it received positive feedback, did not earn much income. But she recently made money by selling the same pieces as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, US media reported. Hong Kong artists frequently struggle to be seen due to limited gallery spaces. Should they start looking into this new way to market their work? Since the pandemic, business models have been evolving. NFTs have sent the art world... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3134662/climate-friendly-or-not-nfts-could-open-new-vistas-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3134662/climate-friendly-or-not-nfts-could-open-new-vistas-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 May 2021 20:00:10 +0000 Rising unemployment has been roiling Hong Kong’s economy since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung revealed that about 35,500 young people were jobless between December last year and February this year, including 10,400 fresh graduates. The overall unemployment rate for this period rose to 7.2 per cent – a 17-year high. Sadly, there is nothing to indicate that this rate will drop any time soon. As part of its pandemic relief measures, the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3130374/why-job-creation-wont-solve-hong-kongs-unemployment-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3130374/why-job-creation-wont-solve-hong-kongs-unemployment-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Apr 2021 22:45:15 +0000 The arrival of multiple vaccines has brought cheer to Hong Kong, as it seemingly heralds the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But, in the grand scheme, vaccinations are but a fig leaf as many scientists say this is unlikely to be the last pandemic in our lifetime.  Before this pandemic ends, the question of how to conduct effective contact tracing remains. In Hong Kong, the “Leave Home Safe” app is a government-endorsed solution to the problem. Putting aside privacy concerns, the overall... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123565/why-leave-home-safe-app-wont-leave-hong-kong-safer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123565/why-leave-home-safe-app-wont-leave-hong-kong-safer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Mar 2021 22:45:05 +0000 On December 24, many multinational companies in Britain breathed a collective sigh of relief after a deal was struck with the European Union to extend a grace period to permit the free flow of data between the two regions. The saga highlights the urgency of including data transfers in all national and regional trade treaties. In Hong Kong, the discussion on sharing data for the greater good is finally gaining momentum. In fact, the groundwork may have been laid by the pandemic. Driven by social... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118273/what-hong-kong-can-learn-european-union-enable-better-data-sharing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118273/what-hong-kong-can-learn-european-union-enable-better-data-sharing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jan 2021 22:45:08 +0000 In her policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced the start of a new youth employment scheme that encourages companies to recruit local graduates to work in the Greater Bay Area, a hotbed of innovation and technology. Some critics have argued that the initiative fails to tackle the gaping social divides that have made headlines in the past 18 months. Such criticism misses the mark. Lam’s initiative extends an olive branch to a beleaguered community that could... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112211/how-carrie-lams-policy-address-offers-hong-kongs-youth-real-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112211/how-carrie-lams-policy-address-offers-hong-kongs-youth-real-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2020 01:45:09 +0000 China’s recent five-year development plan to designate Shenzhen as the engine behind tech innovation in the Greater Bay Area came as no surprise. China’s digital transformation was well under way long before the pandemic amid its expansive adoption of mobile technologies and artificial intelligence applications. This has created a wealth of new data about the world, providing a treasure trove of citizens’ daily habits, including shopping and travelling predilections. In terms of data quantity,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3106236/hong-kong-can-meet-shenzhens-challenge-embracing-big-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3106236/hong-kong-can-meet-shenzhens-challenge-embracing-big-data?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Oct 2020 22:15:18 +0000 Over the past two years, a social movement, a pandemic and a diplomatic stand-off have combined to disrupt all sense of normality in Hong Kong. For most, the economic aftermath will merely fast-forward a transformation already under way. Nowhere is the disruption more visible than in industries such as retail and tourism. Hong Kong’s economy is heavily reliant on finance, trade, professional services and tourism. This worked reasonably well when the world’s markets were surging. A rising tide... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3100556/how-coronavirus-has-given-hong-kong-clean-slate-reboot-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3100556/how-coronavirus-has-given-hong-kong-clean-slate-reboot-education?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2020 01:45:09 +0000 The controversial national security law has quelled the disruptive social movement that caused Hong Kong’s economy to smoulder. But in the seemingly tranquil city that has taken down all pro-Hong Kong independence flags and silenced all subversive slogans, resentment towards mainland China lingers. Many see this quiet as brought on by fear of legal repercussions, even as, inspired in part by last year’s anti-extradition bill movement, there has been a shift in collective consciousness towards a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3097289/give-hong-kongs-talented-gen-z-skin-game-or-prepare-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3097289/give-hong-kongs-talented-gen-z-skin-game-or-prepare-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2020 02:15:17 +0000