香港生产力促进局推出免费AI课程，联合Google、Microsoft等推动中小企采用AI

Free courses coordinated by the Hong Kong government will leverage the expertise of tech giants such as Google and Microsoft to help boost the adoption of AI by businesses for content creation, data analysis and workflow efficiency. The Hong Kong Productivity Council on Thursday announced the launch of the programme targeting industries such as education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and logistics as part of the government’s HK$50 million (US$6.38 million) “AI for All” initiative. “Currently, over 90 per cent of businesses in Hong Kong are small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] and comprise the most important part of the city’s economic development,” Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said. “Therefore, how we can help SMEs transform and upgrade through AI to enhance their competitiveness is an important direction within the AI for All initiative.” Council deputy chairman Emil Yu Chen-on said the courses would go beyond teaching employees to use artificial intelligence, calling them “a future-facing talent investment” that also ensured the technology was used safely. “It’s to … truly transform AI into productivity and competitiveness,” he said. “We can provide actionable, replicable, and expandable AI application areas that cater to the needs of different industries.” In addition to the council, the city’s two tech hubs, Cyberport in Pok Fu Lam and the Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok are leading the implementation of the “AI for All” initiative. Under its umbrella, more than 200 activities will take place over two years and are expected to benefit 50,000 people. The council’s AI push will focus on helping businesses “rapidly adopt AI technologies”, with a focus on practical applications of generative AI for content creation, data analysis and workflow efficiency. The council will also provide hands-on experience in AI application development and implementation to improve integration of solutions into real business scenarios for different industries. Courses will also cover human resources and leadership to help organisations understand AI talent management and application trends to prepare for future workforce needs. Additionally, the council’s “AI BiteClass” can be accessed by elderly residents and underprivileged communities. The council’s programme “AI with HKPC – Business Empowerment” started last week at the Hong Kong Computer and Communications Festival, but details for future courses were yet to be announced. A council spokeswoman said the course instructors would be drawn from various industries with AI project and solution development experience, including Google, Microsoft, Tencent Holdings, Huawei Technologies, Amazon Web Services and others. The council added it would provide free one-on-one consultations to encourage SMEs to make the most of government funding to upgrade and transform their businesses by assisting them with the identification of appropriate schemes and applications. Most of the courses will take place at the council’s base in Kowloon Tong, while select ones will take place online through the government “iAM Smart” system.