The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has been stepping up efforts in the past years to deepen the application of artificial intelligence across sectors, aiming to create new opportunities while opening broader pathways for young people and working professionals to enter the field.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po made the remarks in his weekly blog on Sunday ahead of the release of this year’s Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination results on July 15.

He said AI is creating unprecedented options for high school graduates, expanding education choices and opening up new career paths and job opportunities.

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As the technology becomes more deeply integrated across areas, demand is rising for cross-disciplinary talents, both in innovative technology firms and traditional industries undergoing transformation, he said.

With AI reshaping the competitiveness of economies, the HKSAR government is intensifying efforts to enhance AI literacy and promote training across the public community, the finance chief said.

In education, institutions from primary and secondary schools to universities and tertiary colleges have enhanced their AI-related curricula. For working professionals, organizations in various sectors have expanded AI training, while the government’s Employees Retraining Board has been rebranded as Upskill Hong Kong to provide additional support.

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The SAR hosted LEAP East last week, marking the innovation and technology exhibition’s first expansion into the Asia-Pacific region beyond Saudi Arabia. The three-day event, held from July 8 to 10, attracted more than 25,000 participants, more than half of whom were from abroad, with assets under management of attending investors totaling $6.5 trillion.

Chan said the event will continue to be held in Hong Kong for the next three years. Alongside other major global technology gatherings in the city, it has opened “a rare window” for the young generation to learn about cutting-edge developments worldwide, particularly AI applications in healthcare, finance, energy and industrial production.

“Discovering your interests, maintaining curiosity, and combining them with AI knowledge will serve as a breakthrough for enhancing your capabilities,” he added, encouraging new graduates to embrace AI while pursuing their chosen fields of study.