Hong Kong Boosts AI Investment, Aims to Become Tech Leader

Hong Kong, a global financial hub, is stepping up its investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, aiming to solidify its position as a leading tech center. The city's government-backed Cyberport business hub, focused on Web3, blockchain, and AI, is at the forefront of this initiative.

On February 27, Cyberport hosted the "AI Safety, Trust, and Responsibility" forum in collaboration with international AI academic institutions. The event focused on AI governance, safety, and responsible innovation, highlighting the importance of ethical considerations in AI development.

The Cyberport hub is home to over 270 blockchain technology-related enterprises and more than 350 startups specializing in AI and big data research and development. The hub's Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre (AISC), launched in December 2024, is set to expand its computing power to 3,000 petaFLOPS, enabling it to process 3,000 quadrillion floating-point operations per second.

In the 2025-26 budget, the Hong Kong government allocated 1 billion Hong Kong dollars ($125.5 million) to establish the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute. The institute aims to facilitate upstream R&D, transform midstream and downstream R&D outcomes, and expand application scenarios. Additionally, the government allocated $3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($385.6 million) to Cyberport for a three-year AI Subsidy Scheme to support AI innovations.

The World Digital Technology Academy (WDTA), a co-organizer of the AI forum, announced the establishment of the "WDTA Asia-Pacific Institute (preparatory)" at Cyberport. The institute focuses on building a "safety-native" technological framework, establishing a "human-oriented" value system, and committing to "responsible innovation." Cyberport has also signed numerous Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with universities and institutions to provide students with internship and employment opportunities.