Sun Dong: AI is increasingly integrated into the daily operations of Hong Kong enterprises and institutions, bringing opportunities to enhance operational efficiency, optimize services and drive innovation.

On November 11, in a written reply to a question from Legislative Council Member Duncan Chiu at a LegCo meeting, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said that artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into the daily operations of Hong Kong enterprises and institutions, bringing opportunities to enhance operational efficiency, optimize services and drive innovation. To help SMEs, schools, non-governmental organizations and public bodies apply AI more safely and responsibly, the Digital Policy Office (DPO), together with the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC), launched the Safe AI@Workplace Empowerment Programme (the Programme) in mid-2026 to help organizations establish AI strategies, usage guidelines, risk management and governance frameworks tailored to their own needs. As of October 2026, about 14,000 person-times had participated in the Programme's free training courses. The courses are offered online with no cap on the number of participants, allowing organizations of different sizes and sectors and their employees to participate flexibly according to their needs and enhance their ability to apply AI safely and responsibly. The Programme also provides a free online tool, the AI Strategy and Policy Generator, through which organizations can answer relevant questions to obtain AI strategy and policy templates tailored to their needs, helping them formulate appropriate AI usage policies, set guidelines for employees' use of AI tools, and strengthen management of information security and related risks. To date, the Programme has generated about 1,200 AI policy templates. In addition, the Programme offers 150 free one-on-one consultancy service places. Participants may apply for consultancy services according to their actual needs after completing the training and using the AI Strategy and Policy Generator. The consultancy services are intended to provide relevant assistance based on actual needs after organizations have completed the training and formulated preliminary AI strategies and policies. As of October 2026, the Programme had approved about 30 applications. The DPO will continue to work closely with HKIRC to monitor the Programme's implementation and organizations' service needs, and will review and optimize service arrangements in a timely manner in light of actual circumstances. To enable different organizations and enterprises to apply AI safely and in an orderly manner, the DPO has formulated the Ethical AI Framework and the Hong Kong Generative AI Technical and Application Guideline, providing clear guidance for projects involving the development and application of AI technology to identify and effectively manage the potential risks and matters requiring attention in relevant AI projects. The DPO will also, in accordance with the AI development and risk governance strategy set out in the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, engage and promote industry organizations to formulate AI application guidelines, certification and governance frameworks for different industries, and provide professional advice and support. The DPO will also, in 2027, publish, together with the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, AI Agent safety management guidelines applicable to the whole of society, to enhance Hong Kong's overall AI safety level. On the other hand, the Government will launch the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme 2.0 before the end of this year to support SMEs in applying ready-to-use AI-based digital solutions to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen market competitiveness. All AI solutions proposed for inclusion in the optional list must comply with standards on data processing, cybersecurity, etc., and may only be included after strict approval by an independent review committee, so as to ensure data privacy and information security risks are addressed. In addition to the above measures, promoting AI popularization and awareness is key to advancing inclusive AI development and raising the level of digital and intelligent development. The Government launched the All-People AI Inclusive Programme in July this year, implemented collaboratively by three organizations: Cyberport, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC). These organizations will, through training courses, exhibitions, competitions, seminars, thematic forums and other activities, provide training and support for different AI application scenarios and raise awareness of safe AI application across all sectors of society. In addition, the HKPC also assists enterprises in addressing the security challenges brought by AI, providing services such as AI governance and security testing, AI governance architecture design, ethics and compliance review, data privacy assessment, and penetration testing of AI agents and models. Cyberport helps enterprises adopt AI responsibly through strategic leadership training and practical, industry-focused courses. HKSTP will also support and co-organize seminars or thematic forums on responsible AI and AI cybersecurity to raise SMEs' awareness of privacy risks.