Hong Kong can advance AI beyond the confines of geopolitical rivalry

There is a tendency to portray the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape as consisting of two bitter rivals – China and the United States. The remaining 80 per cent of the world’s population, by virtue of their supposed dearth of scale, research and other critical overheads, are purportedly followers with no agency. The reality is more complex. The emerging global AI order is neither unipolar nor strictly bipolar. Instead, it is characterised by a swathe of middle powers hedging their options and optimising their interests against the backdrop of dominant players on either side of the Pacific. That was my primary takeaway from the inaugural Hong Kong Global AI Governance Conference. In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Malaysia and Singapore are positioning themselves as critical hubs for data centres and semiconductor manufacturing, engaging with industry leaders in China and the US. Europe has ploughed ahead in imposing guard rails against the immensely powerful nascent technology. Despite persisting geopolitical instability and concerns over water availability, the Persian Gulf States are well-endowed to pursue data-intensive large language models and specialisation-oriented AI applications across energy, healthcare and education. India, France, South Korea and the United Kingdom have taken on the successive mantle of convening summits on global AI cooperation. If Hong Kong is to remain relevant in the increasingly multiplex landscape, it must serve as a nexus of responsible AI governance for the global majority. An obvious starting point would be Hong Kong’s legal system, which enjoys international repute and connectivity thanks to its bedrock of common law. Hong Kong can serve as a premier mediation and arbitration hub for AI disputes, and a standard-setter of consumer rights and legal liability precedents. The city cannot rest on its laurels. Singapore recently introduced a comprehensive agentic AI governance framework. It’s also investing heavily in research on how AI, public policy and law intersect. Yet Hong Kong possesses the advantages of proximity to cities such as Shenzhen and Hangzhou, two of the world’s leading technology hubs, and a dynamic private sector with a capital scale unrivalled in Asia. Hong Kong may not replicate the world-class AI laboratories to its north or in Silicon Valley, but it can double down on what it does best. Hong Kong must consult industry experts, seasoned investors, multinational conglomerates, researchers and academics throughout Greater China to devise pertinent, internationally recognised benchmarks for AI regulation. In implementing said regulations, the government should cultivate technocratic and regulatory partnerships with governments in emerging markets such as Asean, South Asia, the African Union, West and Central Asia and Latin America, inviting leading administrators and innovators for in-depth exchanges of knowledge. As the most open city within the Greater Bay Area development zone, Hong Kong can serve as a key cradle for AI professionals from around the world. The arrival of two world-class mathematicians, Ngo Bao Chau and Vu Ha Van, to Hong Kong speaks to the city’s appeal to leading Asian pioneers amid the increasing politicisation of higher education in the US. Hong Kong must establish targeted scholarships and fellowships aimed at attracting students and early-career scholars – especially those from developing countries wary of the visa uncertainty and escalating xenophobia in the US – who have exhibited an interest in AI’s immense potential. With such a concentration of educators, we are also well placed to spearhead discussions about the role of education and the future of humanity in the AI era. How should examinations be restructured? Must we choose between AI-enabled development and employment quality, or can we pursue both? Can AI enhance our creativity without breeding undue dependence? These are interdisciplinary questions demanding multi-faculty coordination and lateral thinking. The Research Grants Council should adapt accordingly to empower scholars in addressing the challenges induced by the rise of AI. As multilateral institutions providing global public goods come under growing strain, Hong Kong’s globally minded citizens and policy advocates must stand up and be counted. Former UN General Assembly president Vuk Jeremic noted Hong Kong’s potential to serve as an official regional hub for key UN organs in Asia. Whether it’s the UN’s two new bodies on AI – the Global Dialogue on AI Governance or the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI – or potential AI governance organs of multilateral forums such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Brics and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Hong Kong is the perfect hosting site. Half the world’s population is reachable from Hong Kong within five hours. Unlike the mainland, it enjoys effectively unfettered access to major internet platforms, such as Google and X, formerly known as Twitter. While OpenAI remains unavailable to Hong Kong users, Google has made its Gemini AI chatbot available for the city. The city’s recent global conference featured AI experts from Tsinghua, Harvard and the University of Hong Kong, as well as public policy leaders from India, Singapore and Mongolia. Industry representatives from SenseTime and Alibaba spoke alongside key leaders in the Sino-American AI Track-2 dialogue. Hong Kong’s convening power must be fully leveraged to focus on important, but overlooked issues such as how small language models can help preserve indigenous languages in underdeveloped economies or how China and Asean can forge common ground in AI safety. With an AI road map in the pipeline, Hong Kong must seize upon its potential in fending for the interests of the world for all, not just the few.

Hong Kong can advance AI beyond the confines of geopolitical rivalry

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As emerging markets chart their own destinies regarding artificial intelligence, the city can serve as a nexus for responsible governance

As emerging markets chart their own destinies regarding artificial intelligence, the city can serve as a nexus for responsible governance