Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that professional artificial intelligence courses for Hong Kong workers would roll out in November, part of a broader HK$50 million drive targeting 50,000 people through 200 activities over two years.

Writing in his weekly blog on Sunday, Chan said the Employees Retraining Board would join forces with major tech firms to launch specialised AI courses for working professionals.

This initiative is part of a broader push intended to help the local workforce stay abreast of rapid technological change.

The finance chief also outlined a coordinated effort involving Cyberport, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and the Hong Kong Productivity Council to deliver a range of training modules tailored for students, the general public, and working professionals.

The Productivity Council, for example, is focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

That focus was already on display at this year's Computer and Communications Festival, held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the council partnered with nearly 30 companies to set up an AI and Digital Transformation Zone.

The zone showcased practical applications in areas including cybersecurity, online legal arbitration, omnichannel AI chatbots, and business information solutions, all aimed at helping SMEs deploy AI more precisely.

The festival, themed "AI connect: Let's link the future", also featured thematic zones on sports innovation, green tech living, and smart campuses, giving citizens a chance to experience AI applications first-hand.

Over the next two years, the council will also continue conducting its "AI Readiness in Workplace Survey", using the findings to shape more targeted support measures.

"Cutting-edge technologies and their applications are still evolving and will pose challenges to the job market. We must accelerate our preparations, including enabling young people to acquire new skills early on and providing opportunities for them to apply these skills in the workplace," he wrote.

"Hong Kong has a large number of SMEs, whose agility, adaptability, and innovative spirit have been honed through past technological shifts and economic cycles. During this current technological paradigm shift, we will fully support them in preparing and responding, so that they can continue to move forward sustainably."

Chan noted that with AI advancing so rapidly in recent years, there is growing public awareness of the need to keep up with the times and deepen both understanding and use of the technology.



Edited by Tony Sabine