Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong will build an ‘AI City Brain’ for urban management

Hong Kong will build an “AI City Brain” to improve urban management and bolster emergency response, the city’s leader John Lee has announced in his annual Policy Address.

Speaking at the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Lee said he would establish an “AI City Brain” task force led by the Chief Secretary.

The new body will include representatives from the Security Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Development Bureau, and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau.

Following the mainland’s lead

The first “city brain” was developed 10 years ago in Hangzhou by tech giant Alibaba. Since then, the urban AI has spread to cities throughout the Chinese mainland.

The platform promises to centralise real-time data from a variety of sources – CCTV cameras, tracking systems, smart sensors, government databases, social media and mobile apps – and then use this information to optimise traffic lights, waste management, and other aspects of urban governance.

The digital infrastructure of the Security Bureau’s Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre is scheduled for integration in the first phase.

Meanwhile, the Transport Department will study the possibility of setting up an AI traffic management platform that will gather real-time traffic information and help authorities formulate contingency plans for extreme weather and major public events.

The police force will also set up a new “Inter-departmental Major Incident Platform” to centralise real-time data from all units when handling major public incidents.

“This will enable more comprehensive information on casualties and missing persons. It will also make use of AI technology to expedite understanding regarding the circumstances of those affected by an incident and provide timely support,” Lee said in his Policy Address.

Wang Fuk Court fire aftermath

Lee also announced in the Policy Address that authorities had established an independent commission to investigate the causes of the Wang Fuk Court fire, which killed 168 and displaced thousands from the Tai Po housing estate in November last year.

Authorities have arrested multiple individuals linked to the fire, Lee said, adding that the government has also introduced a series of measures and amended relevant laws to improve the maintenance of older buildings.

Victims have condemned the government for failing to effectively monitor renovation works, calling for officials as well as construction firm managers to be held accountable.

Lee said the government is drafting a bill to criminalise bid-rigging and is set to table it later this year.

The Policy Address did not indicate whether anyone from the government would face punishment over the tragedy.

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Irene Chan is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press and has an interest in covering political and social change. She previously worked at Initium Media as chief editor for Hong Kong news and was a community organiser at the Society for Community Organisation serving the underprivileged. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Fudan University and a master’s degree in social work from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Irene is the recipient of two Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) awards and three honourable mentions for her investigative, feature and video reporting. She also received a Human Rights Press Award for multimedia reporting and an honourable mention for feature writing.