Hong Kong plans AI upgrades to government website services by 2027
Hong Kong's innovation bureau says most government website links direct users to specific pages, not just homepages. It plans to launch an enhanced AI chatbot by 2027 to help citizens find cross-departmental information more accurately.
The Hong Kong government has outlined plans to improve data interconnectivity across its websites, including expanding artificial-intelligence tools to help citizens locate information more efficiently. The Innovation, Science and Technology Bureau responded on 28 October to three questions from lawmaker Lau Chi-pang about the current state of government online services.
On whether most government website links direct users to specific content pages rather than just homepages, the bureau said the Home Affairs, Youth and Sports Bureau's guidelines require departments to organise content by topic, use hyperlinks to core information on the homepage and place detailed content on secondary pages. The 'GovHK' portal, managed by the Digital Policy Office, has nearly all links leading directly to specific pages. However, the government does not keep statistics for other departmental sites, as some old or archived pages may redirect to homepages after redesigns. The guidelines remind departments to regularly maintain their sites and check links.
Regarding cross-departmental procedures, the bureau noted that GovHK already hosts dedicated pages for common multi-agency tasks, categorised by user type — Hong Kong residents, business and trade, and non-residents. Sections such as 'Employment', 'Healthcare and Medical Services', 'Registration and Licences' and 'Support for Local Enterprises' provide centralised access to application conditions, forms and links. The site also offers quick guides like 'Drivers' Zone' and 'Senior Citizens' Zone', as well as topics such as 'Marriage Registration' and 'Maternal Health'.
On the use of conversational AI, the bureau said GovHK launched an AI chatbot called 'Bonny' in 2019, using natural-language processing and machine learning to handle queries in Chinese, English and Cantonese. More recently, the 'iAM Smart' platform, which connects over 1,400 government and private-sector online services and has more than 4.8 million registered users averaging over 220,000 daily transactions, introduced an AI assistant in October 2025. The assistant searches across government websites, compiles clear answers and provides source links. An enhanced version offering personalised services is expected by the end of 2026.
Looking ahead, the Digital Policy Office plans to launch Chatbot-as-a-Service 2.0 in 2027, equipped with a new AI engine combining large language models, natural-language processing, retrieval-augmented generation and web-scraping technology. This update will replace 'Bonny' and be available for other departments, expanding knowledge coverage to deliver more precise and direct responses on government websites.
