Legacy systems slow Hong Kong’s corporate AI adoption, Accenture says
Only 10 per cent of Hong Kong companies surveyed by Accenture had integrated generative artificial intelligence across several business functions, compared with about 21 per cent of mainland Chinese firms. Accenture executive Robert Hah attributed the gap to legacy infrastructure, organisational caution and shortages of digital talent.
Hong Kong companies are adopting artificial intelligence more slowly than their mainland Chinese counterparts, with legacy systems and cautious corporate decision-making hindering the city’s digital transition, according to consultancy Accenture. Robert Hah, Accenture Greater China’s Hong Kong office lead, told the South China Morning Post that 10 per cent of Hong Kong firms surveyed had integrated generative AI across multiple business functions. The comparable figure for mainland enterprises was about 21 per cent.
Hah said mainland companies were moving faster because they were more willing to overhaul existing operating models. Hong Kong businesses, by contrast, were often reluctant to make rapid changes because of established IT infrastructure and processes. Mainland adoption has also benefited from falling model costs and a growing domestic developer ecosystem involving companies including DeepSeek and Alibaba.
Technology groups such as Ant Group, Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu have been promoting enterprise-focused AI agents, shifting attention towards embedding AI in corporate workflows. The disparity presents a challenge for Hong Kong as its government seeks to establish the city as a technology hub. Artificial intelligence is central to the government’s economic plans, including proposed applications such as an “AI city brain” for extreme weather events, major incidents and public order.
Hah said the main obstacles were organisational rather than technological. Companies often lacked alignment between business strategies and AI plans, while shortages of skilled workers remained persistent. Although 84 per cent of surveyed organisations intended to create entry-level positions for AI-fluent workers, more than half said they were struggling to find suitable talent.
He said firms needed to redesign jobs and workflows instead of simply adding AI tools to existing systems. Financial services, banking and insurance were expected to lead adoption, while retail, consumer goods and hospitality were likely to lag.
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