Hong Kong Launches AI+ Civil Services Forum to Enhance Public Service Efficiency with Smart Technologies

Digital Policy Office holds AI+ Civil Services Technology Forum

The Digital Policy Office (DPO) held the first Technology Forum in its AI+ Civil Services series at Hong Kong Cyberport today (August 8). The forum, themed "Smart Governance Era - Digital Agents & Smart Meetings for Efficiency", was held in hybrid mode and attracted more than 1 300 professionals from over 100 government departments as well as public and private organisations to discuss and promote the applications and innovation of AI in public services.

In his opening address, the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, emphasised that in response to the rapid development of AI, the Government must proactively adopt smart technologies to boost work efficiency and enhance the experience for citizens, ensuring that public services stay current and progressive. To support departments in exploring suitable AI solutions, the Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart Lab) under the DPO earlier launched the "AI+ Tool and Solution Catalogue" (the Catalogue), featuring a wide range of quickly deployable AI solutions from the innovation and technology (I&T) industry that suit the needs of the Government. Mr Wong encouraged all government colleagues to explore and implement suitable solutions from the Catalogue to enhance work efficiency and optimise human resources. He also took the opportunity to invite the I&T sector to submit more high-quality solutions, fostering a shared commitment to transforming public services with AI.

At the forum, a number of technology companies were invited to share information and exchange insights on their technologies and solutions focusing on the two main themes: "Digital Human Customer Service" and "Meeting Minutes Summaries and Communication Collaboration", providing an opportunity for government departments and the I&T sector to delve into the latest AI products and solutions, as well as to explore practical applications of AI for better public services. Among all, the Judiciary shared its experience with voice-to-text technology in the courts, and Hong Kong Cyberport introduced the local AI ecosystem development.

The forum also featured a number of booths showcasing the latest AI technologies and products where attendees were able to visit and exchange ideas. These included the local large language model "HKGAI V1" developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI), and its related applications, such as the clerical assistant "HKPilot", the intelligent assistant "HKChat", and the meeting minutes generator "HKMeeting". These tools have already been widely used across government departments.

This forum was organised by the Smart Lab in collaboration with Hong Kong Cyberport, the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. Since its establishment in 2019, the Smart Lab has been committed to connecting the Government with the I&T sector, actively fostering close partnerships between local start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and government departments. Through regularly organising promotional activities and technology exchange workshops, the Smart Lab supports and assists government departments in accelerating the introduction of local innovative technology products and solutions, which in turn could facilitate business matching and achieve win-win outcomes.

To further promote the wider adoption of AI across government departments, the DPO is launching a series of promotional activities under the "AI+ Civil Services" theme. The forum today marks the first Technology Forum of the series. In future, the DPO will continue to hold Technology Forums spotlighting relevant topics. Interested parties are most welcome to stay engaged and participate in the upcoming events.For more details, please visit the thematic website of the Smart Lab (www.smartlab.gov.hk/en/).

Digital Policy Office holds AI+ Civil Services Technology Forum Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Digital Policy Office holds AI+ Civil Services Technology Forum Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FSD and BD conduct joint inspection and enforcement operation against industrial buildings

In response to earlier media reports on fire safety issues in certain industrial buildings, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Buildings Department (BD) are highly concerned about the situation and conducted a joint inspection and enforcement operation targeting industrial buildings from December 29 to 31, 2025, with a view to ensuring public safety.

An industrial building in Kwun Tong, Photo by Bastille Post

The FSD and the BD inspected a total of nine industrial buildings located in various districts in Kowloon and the New Territories during the joint operation. The fire personnel identified a total of 261 irregularities related to various fire hazards, such as obstruction or locking of means of escape, defective or wedged-open smoke stop doors, as well as fire service installations or equipment (FSIs) that were defective or not in efficient working order. The FSD took immediate enforcement action against the persons concerned.

An industrial building in Kwun Tong, Photo by Bastille Post

Among the cases related to obstruction of means of escape, the FSD instituted three prosecutions and issued 22 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs), requiring the persons concerned to abate the fire hazards within a specified period. Should they fail to comply with the requirements of the FHANs within the period, the FSD will institute resolute prosecution. In addition, inspections revealed that some buildings had defective smoke stop doors and FSIs. The FSD will issue FHANs to the persons concerned and continue to take follow-up action.

The Buildings Department (BD), Photo source: reference image

The BD identified 13 subdivided flats suspected of being used illegally for domestic purposes. Further investigations are now under way, and letters have been sent to the relevant owners and occupiers asking them to contact the BD as soon as possible to arrange an inspection of their flats. Otherwise, the BD will consider applying for a court warrant to enter the premises for inspection. If it is confirmed that the flats in question have been used for illegal domestic purposes, the BD will take enforcement action in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance, including ordering the cessation of illegal domestic use and rectify the dangerous situations. The BD also identified in the operation that there was dilapidation in the exit staircases of one of the industrial buildings, but no obvious danger to the overall building structure was noted. The BD has issued a repair order to the owners' corporation for conducting the necessary repair work.

The Fire Services Department (FSD), Photo source: reference image

Apart from inspection and enforcement, the FSD also carried out fire prevention education and publicity at the same time during the operation to enhance fire safety awareness among owners and occupiers of industrial buildings, thereby mitigating fire risk from the source. The BD has also long been promoting building safety and the proper use of buildings through various channels, including distributing themed posters to management offices of industrial buildings for displaying in prominent places to serve as a reminder to owners and occupiers that industrial buildings must not be used illegally for domestic purposes.