Cross-sector push needed for youth facing ‘paradox of AI fluency’: minister

Hong Kong’s labour secretary has called for greater cross-sector efforts to help young people gain job experience amid disruption caused by artificial intelligence (AI), while Singapore’s trade minister has urged embracing a “continuous learning” mindset.

Speaking at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s PBC (Philanthropy for Better Cities) Forum 2026 on Monday, the city’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said that higher education alone was no longer enough to ensure career success in the age of AI.

“If you look at what’s going to make a success in a career, the task usually is that you invest in higher education,” Sun said. “It’s almost a guarantee as a passport to a good career.

“Right now, this is not a recipe for success any more.”

Sun added that success today required AI fluency, trade-specific professional skills, and soft skills such as communication and the ability to “win people over”.

While young people typically exhibited the highest AI fluency, they faced difficulty getting opportunities to be tested in real-world work environments, he said.