Hong Kong sets out AI talent ladder as officials warn of graduate job disruption
Hong Kong will expand access to artificial intelligence tools, education and advanced training under a four-stage talent strategy. Innovation official Kevin Choi said AI was already affecting routine entry-level work, while Chief Executive John Lee announced plans to review governance, labour-market effects and opportunities for students and graduates.
Hong Kong has announced a four-stage artificial intelligence strategy aimed at helping workers and students adapt to technology that officials say is already disrupting entry-level employment. Kevin Choi Kit-ming, the permanent secretary for innovation, technology and industry, said AI was performing many routine tasks that had traditionally formed part of a graduate’s first job, including basic coding and first-line customer service. He described this as a real “entry-level shock”.
Speaking at the Global Youth Powerhouse Summit, Choi said the government wanted to invest in AI “at a population scale”. Its objective was to improve digital literacy rather than shield young people from the technology, which he described as a catalyst rather than a threat. The first stage of the proposed talent ladder would reduce the cost and access barriers to AI tools, while expanding education and encouraging use among students, researchers and professionals.
The second would develop active learners into practical innovators through higher education and advanced talent programmes. The remaining stages would connect research with industry and establish infrastructure and policies intended to support innovation. Choi said responsible governance would provide the foundation for the programme.
He cited a report saying 70 per cent of Hongkongers were proficient AI users and 20 per cent were “super users” employing AI agents in daily tasks. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government would examine changes to its AI governance framework, including measures addressing AI-enabled crime, liability in disputes involving AI and the governance of AI agents. Authorities would also assess the technology’s effect on the labour force.
Lee also pointed to the Northern Metropolis project and plans to provide 30,000 private-sector internships for university students and recent graduates over two years. Of those placements, 10,000 would focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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