Hong Kong holds second AI governance forum to drive public sector reform
Hong Kong's Digital Office hosted its second forum on AI in governance, highlighting 30 efficiency projects across 13 departments. Officials stressed safe AI deployment, data sharing, and user-centric public services, with experts from Shanghai and local tech firms sharing insights.
The Digital Office of Hong Kong held its second technical forum on "AI + Governance: AI Tools Empowering Administrative Reform" on 6 October 2026, as part of efforts to implement the city's first five-year plan and the 2026 policy address.
In his opening remarks, Acting Digital Policy Commissioner Cheung Yee-wai said the office is focusing on "AI + Governance" to reform public administration, deepen the use of data resources, promote data sharing within government, and accelerate the rollout of AI projects to boost administrative efficiency.
Cheung noted that AI and data can help government departments process information more efficiently and complete routine tasks. More importantly, he said, these tools should be used from the public's perspective to make government services easier to find, understand and use.
The AI Efficiency Enhancement Team, led by the Deputy Chief Secretary, has already launched 30 efficiency projects involving 13 departments, Cheung said. The Digital Office will continue to provide shared AI resources and support to help departments adopt AI safely and effectively. It is also developing an AI assistant for the iAM Smart platform and testing AI agents within the government.
Cheung stressed that as AI applications expand, government must ensure proper access control, information security and human oversight so that the technology delivers benefits within a safe and controlled environment.
The forum was co-organised by the Smart Government Innovation Lab, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. AI experts from the Shanghai Municipal Data Bureau shared their experiences with AI in governance online, while local agencies and technology companies presented the latest AI developments and applications. The event also featured industry solutions to promote exchanges between the government and the private sector.
