Hong Kong's government will hold its first meeting on the development strategy for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry this month.
The "AI+ and Industry Development Strategy Committee," established under this year's Budget, has been successfully formed. Its members include experts, scholars, and representatives from chambers of commerce, enterprises, and park companies. The committee will hold its first meeting within this month.
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po revealed in a blog post on Sunday (June 7) that, given the broad scope of AI empowerment, the "AI+ and Industry Development Strategy Committee" will initially focus on life and health as well as embodied intelligence, and will also study strategies for applying AI in various fields such as transportation, cultural and creative industries, and sustainable development.
He revealed that the Hong Kong government will allocate HK$300 million (S$4.9 million) this year to promote an optimized version of the "Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme," focusing on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting off-the-shelf AI and cybersecurity digital solutions, including assistance in predicting consumer trends, optimizing marketing, and promoting daily operational automation.
Chan said that to implement "AI Training for All," the government will also allocate HK$50 million to invite Cyberport, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and the Productivity Council, together with technology enterprises, tertiary institutions, and industry chambers, to organize AI application learning courses, seminars, and competitions.
He added that "AI Training for All" will be offered in diverse formats to meet the needs of different groups. For student training, the focus can be on encouraging practice, such as through Hackathons and Techathons to validate student ideas. To help the elderly understand AI tools, the authorities will first train community members and students to become ambassadors for seniors learning AI. For vocational training, there will be AI courses from the Vocational Training Council.
