Embrace AI to boost competitiveness, Paul Chan says at tech festival opening

Humanoid robots, 3D printers and artificial intelligence (AI) hubs are among the newest technologies showcased at Hong Kong’s annual electronics and tech exhibition, as the city’s finance chief encourages residents to learn how to use them.

At the opening of the four-day event on Friday, hundreds of visitors crowded the 22nd Hong Kong Computer and Communications Festival at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, exploring various AI experience zones and browsing exhibitors’ products.

This year’s festival, themed “AI connect: let’s link the future”, will run until Monday, featuring an “AI and digital transformation zone”.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said at the opening ceremony that the festival focused on the practical application and future trends of AI, which was “timely” and “highly consistent” with the direction of “AI for all”.

He said AI’s rapid advance had raised concerns over jobs, privacy, governance and security, but argued that residents who learned to use the technology effectively stood to benefit rather than be left behind.

Chan pointed to the rise of AI agents enabling “one-person companies” and even “one-person unicorns”, as individuals and small teams increasingly relied on artificial intelligence to complete large projects on their own.