Budget moves to develop the artificial intelligence and technology sectors in Hong Kong have evoked optimism from a lawmaker and calls to train and attract more talent.

Their reactions came two days after Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced a series of measures aimed at taking AI and tech development to a higher level, which includes his chairing a new Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy as part of efforts to ensure all levels of society understand and make use of the nascent tech.

Speaking on RTHK's Backchat programme on Friday, technology and innovation sector lawmaker Duncan Chiu said setting up the committee was crucial as it could help the city develop more industry-based AI applications.

"We can train these people [on AI applications], but if there's not enough application, then all they're doing is just using all these large language models to create documents and diagrams, but I think it is more important if we can actually develop more industry-based applications," he said.

He said it is a "good sign" that priority has been given to AI training in the budget, with HK$50 million earmarked for groups to work with technology firms and tertiary institutions in organising AI application courses, seminars and competitions.

Chiu said universities in Hong Kong had already made AI a top priority in recent years and that programmes like the RAISe+ Scheme could help commercialise AI-related projects.

Speaking on the same programme, Witman Hung, director of the Greater Bay Area Research Center of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, stressed that the city had to train and attract more talent in order to fulfil its plans for the tech industry and Northern Metropolis.

"The original plan for Northern Metropolis was saying that there would be 600,000 people employed, of which I think three quarters will be in the tech industry," he said.

"Today, we do not have the total number of tech people in Hong Kong that matches that demand... so one of the things we really need to do is attract more talent."

Regarding the budget move to upgrade the Employees Retraining Board into "Upskill Hong Kong" to cultivate AI application skills, Hung agreed there was such a need but that there had to be an awareness of ethical and governance challenges as demand for medium-skilled labour would decline when technology upgrades and industries moved up the value chain.

He also said the city could not handle the transition alone and should pay attention to how the mainland addressed similar issues, stressing that policymakers should address these questions now rather than reacting to problems when they cropped up.


Edited by Aaron Tam