The push for Hong Kong AI development received a significant boost this week with a HK$200 million (US$25.74 million) donation from the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Sino Group.

According to the China Daily, the funding will accelerate the advancement of the city’s first homegrown AI language model, HKGAI V1, particularly in developing a mobile application for public use.

The donation, announced at a ceremony held at the Central Government Offices in Admiralty on 10 March 2025, underscores Hong Kong’s commitment to positioning itself as a leader in AI innovation.

The event was attended by Paul Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary; Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; and Guo Yike, Provost of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Director of InnoHK’s HKGAI, among other industry and government representatives.

Daryl Ng Win-kong, director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and deputy chairman of the Sino Group, said,

“The launch of China’s DeepSeek, alongside the surge in AI innovation, is creating an even more favorable environment for deeper growth in innovation and technology in Hong Kong. We are delighted to be part of this very important journey, supporting the holistic development of the innovation and technology ecosystem in the city.”

The LLM model HKGAI V1, launched in the first half of 2024, has already undergone pilot testing in more than 70 government departments. With this latest financial injection, the AI model will continue to evolve, particularly in its trilingual capabilities, namely for Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.

The donation will also contribute to strengthening manpower and computing resources to support the AI platform’s expansion towards a mobile version, which may be available to the public in a couple of months.

Hong Kong has been a leader in AI technology development, especially with the launch of its “AI Plus” initiative highlighted in the Government Work Report, according to Paul Chan Mo-po, Hong Kong’s financial secretary.

He pointed out that data science and AI programs at three local universities are now ranked among the global top 25, showcasing their quality. The city’s status as a “superconnector,” supported by the “one country, two systems” framework, makes it a key hub for top talent. This position is further reinforced by its focus on international collaboration and exchange.

Ng also announced that Sino Group will host the fourth Hong Kong Science Fair in June, giving students a chance to present their innovations as part of efforts to support local talent.

Source of image: Edited from Freepik