Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu attends the press conference of the Anti-epidemic Command and Coordination Group in Central Government Office on Aug 8, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s advantage in conducting basic research was hailed on Tuesday as another milestone in the development of arts and culture, as well as innovation and technology.

It came after Hong Kong Baptist University unveiled the world’s first AI ensemble - the “Turing AI Orchestra”, featuring a hybrid of artificial intelligence, technology and art, at an international symposium themed “Human, Machine, Art, Creativity. Using state-of-the-art AI technology, the orchestra is formed by human and AI systems.  

With the unwavering support of the motherland, together with the concerted efforts of our community, I’m confident that Hong Kong will continue to achieve breakthroughs in such budding areas as art tech, and bring new opportunities to the industries and, ultimately, to humanity.

John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive

Addressing the symposium, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said exploring integration between AI and arts is in line with the HKSAR government’s policy to promote the development of arts and culture, and innovation and technology.

“It also echoes the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), which supports Hong Kong’s goal of becoming an international I&T hub and an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange,” he said.

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“With the unwavering support of the motherland, together with the concerted efforts of our community, I’m confident that Hong Kong will continue to achieve breakthroughs in such budding areas as art tech, and bring new opportunities to the industries and, ultimately, to humanity,” Lee added.

Xu Jie, deputy director-general of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology, told the symposium the HKSAR has a distinctive advantage in basic AI research.

Pledging joint efforts with Hong Kong to turn the city into a global I&T center, Xu Jie, deputy director-general of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology, said the SAR plays an indispensable role in the country’s development of innovation and technology

Pledging joint efforts with Hong Kong to turn the city into a global I&T center, Xu said the SAR plays an indispensable role in the country’s development of innovation and technology.

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In Hong Kong’s science and innovation development, Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Zhang Zhihua said the city has enormous creativity and potential that will provide youth with greater space for development.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said the development of arts technology in Hong Kong is showing promising prospects.  

“Both arts and technology are part of the government’s key policy areas,” he said, adding that the integration of arts and technology will not only expand the reach of arts and its form of presentation, but also create new development opportunities for arts practitioners and technology talents.

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The one-day symposium, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, was attended by government officials and world-renowned researchers. It featured thematic speeches on the fusion of art and technology.