Hong Kong will launch its own AI system for government use by the end of this year. This decision follows OpenAI’s restriction of access to its API for users in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Sun Dong, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology, and Industry, announced the new AI tool, initially meant for government use, will later be available to the public. Called the “civil servants’ clerical assistance system,” this move is a big step towards using local AI technology.
The system was developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center, part of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and four other universities. This center was created in October 2023 to lead research and development in AI.
Sun Dong is optimistic about the new system, noting it will improve with use and feedback. He mentioned that trial runs of the system have been successful and it is ready for wider use.
The decision to create a local AI system came after OpenAI announced it would block API access to countries and regions it does not support, including Hong Kong and Macao, starting from July 9th.
Source: dimsumdaily
