Hong Kong to launch local ChatGPT-style AI tool in second half of year
Hong Kong is set to launch a locally developed ChatGPT-style artificial intelligence (AI) tool powered by DeepSeek in the second half of the year, with the platform featuring elements of the city and being able to answer 'all kinds of questions', the innovation chief has said.
Advertisement
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong gave an update on the launch timeline on Friday during a Beijing-organised media tour to promote the Greater Bay Area.
The new tool, named 'HKGAI V1', was developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Centre (HKGAI) under the government's InnoHK innovation programme.
The tool is capable of delivering instant responses to user queries through a chatbot interface. Users can input commands to access information or generate specific content such as travel itineraries, meeting notes, music and videos.
'The system can answer all kinds of questions,' Sun said, adding that it would feature local characteristics reflecting the values of Hong Kong, including the 'one country, two systems' governing principle.
Advertisement
He also expressed his hope that the tool could serve the Chinese community overseas.
HKGAI V1 is the first in the world to be based on the DeepSeek full-parameter fine-tuning research model.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
an hour ago
- RTHK
Chinese manufacturing activity perks up a little
Chinese manufacturing activity perks up a little The new export orders sub-index for China rose to 47.5 for May from 44.7 in April. File photo: NurPhoto/AFP The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 49.5 in May, up 0.5 percentage points from April, official data showed on Saturday. The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, fell to 50.3 from 50.4, remaining above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction. The new orders sub-index rose to 49.8 from 49.2 in April, while the new export orders sub-index rose to 47.5 from 44.7. Earlier this month, the central bank unveiled a raft of easing steps, including interest rate cuts and a major liquidity injection, and analysts believe a trade deal with the United States could reduce the need for more aggressive stimulus. Beijing and Washington have agreed to a 90-day pause under which both sides would cut their import tariffs, raising hopes of easing tensions, but investors worry negotiations will be slow amid persistent global economic risks. US President Donald Trump on Friday accused China of violating the bilateral deal to roll back tariffs and announced a doubling of worldwide steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 percent, once again rattling international trade. China's economy expanded at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter, and the government has maintained a growth target of around 5 percent this year, but analysts fear US tariffs could shift momentum sharply lower. Exports beat forecasts in April, buoyed by demand for materials from overseas manufacturers who rushed out goods to make the most of Trump's 90-day tariff pause. (Xinhua/Reuters)
HKFP
2 hours ago
- HKFP
‘Digital blitz': Misinformation on social media casts shadow on US-China trade truce
From false claims of Americans panic-buying Chinese goods to bot-driven attacks on US brands, a tide of misinformation is casting a shadow over a temporary trade truce between Washington and Beijing. The world's two biggest economies agreed earlier this month to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, a surprise de-escalation in their bitter trade war following high-level talks in Geneva. But an alternate reality is unfolding across social media platforms, including China's Douyin and Weibo, where a surge of falsehoods is fueling anti-American sentiment that could undermine the fragile truce. One online video, which garnered millions of views across those platforms and TikTok, claims to show panicked American shoppers snapping up Chinese-branded television sets in the aftermath of trade tensions. But in reality, that was old footage from 2018 showing Black Friday shopping frenzy at a US supermarket. The falsehood was further amplified by Chinese state media outlets, including China Daily, which ran headlines such as: 'Americans are starting to stock up like crazy amid tariffs and snapping up Chinese-branded TVs.' A news clip on its website — more recycled footage from 2018 — bears a 'file footage' watermark in the upper left corner, apparently to shield the outlet from legal liability. Other unfounded claims emerged on Chinese platforms about Americans flying to China to shop for Chinese goods, and that US citizens — reeling from the economic fallout of the trade war — were queuing up to purchase supplies in bulk. 'These narratives are almost certainly curated by the state, which has become increasingly fluent in harnessing social media,' Andrew Mertha, director of the SAIS China Global Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, told AFP. '(They) help align Chinese public opinion with governmental strategy, in this case demonstrating — albeit inaccurately, certainly prematurely — that 'the US is already feeling the pain, so China must stay the course.'' Economic jitters US President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs have sent jitters through the world economy, unnerving investors and roiling financial markets. Under the May 12 truce, the United States agreed to temporarily reduce the tariff on Chinese imports to 30 percent from 145 percent, while China said it would lower its import duty on American goods to 10 percent from 125 percent. Some of the false narratives emerged before the agreement but have continued to spread online, fueling confusion and a broader wave of information chaos. 'A lot of friends in China asked me: Are there no eggs in the United States? Is it very unsafe? Are people rushing to buy things? Have you stockpiled anything?' Vivian Wei, a Chicago-based content creator, told AFP. 'Some people even (suggested) not to come to the United States for tourism or study.' The rumors prompted Wei to tour several supermarkets across Chicago, only to find shelves stocked. While American shoppers seemed unfazed by the swirl of online misinformation, Wei observed that the 'Chinese were getting very excited.' 'Digital blitz' Last month, disinformation security firm Cyabra uncovered an anti-US influence campaign on the Elon Musk-owned X involving thousands of fake or bot-operated accounts. They targeted global brands such as Gucci, Chanel and Amazon, amplifying the unfounded narrative that they produced goods in China while branding them as 'Made in France' or 'Made in Italy.' The accounts blamed Trump's trade policies for enabling such deceptive marketing practices, while urging consumers to ditch those brands and purchase products directly from China. 'This was a digital blitz. A third of the accounts weren't real, but the backlash they triggered was,' Dan Brahmy, chief executive of Cyabra, told AFP. 'Fake profiles hijacked luxury brands, pushed anti-US narratives, and steered buyers away without raising suspicion. That's what makes it effective.' Last month, AFP also uncovered viral TikTok videos by Chinese content creators promoting the spurious claim that international luxury brands were secretly manufacturing their products in China. The targeted brands did not respond to the claim, which appeared to be part of a sprawling campaign exploiting US-China trade tensions to market counterfeit luxury goods. The false narratives are unlikely to fade as trade negotiations continue, experts say. 'I believe these narratives will continue and will evolve in parallel with strengthening the Chinese government's negotiating position,' said Mertha from Johns Hopkins University.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘Rising star' mediation body adds more shine to reputation of Hong Kong
The launching of the world's first legal body dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation is a groundbreaking and much-needed development at a time of heightened global tensions. A convention to establish the International Organisation for Mediation, based in Hong Kong, was signed by 33 countries yesterday at a ceremony attended by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and representatives of more than 80 nations, plus global bodies. Wang said the initiative, led by China, would transcend a 'zero-sum mentality' and promote the amicable resolution of international disputes. The move reflects Beijing's efforts to settle differences through peaceful means and is intended to bring 'Chinese wisdom' to global governance at a time of instability. Wang highlighted Article 33 of the United Nations Charter, which requires states to use methods including mediation to resolve disputes. The organisation, due to open as early as this year, will fill a gap as other leading institutions around the world focus more on litigation or arbitration. There is growing interest in the use of mediation, where a neutral third party helps resolve differences in a way acceptable to both sides.
