In a significant development for Hong Kong's AI landscape, SENSETIME-W (00020.HK) has announced a partnership with the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association (HKSMEA) on September 30, 2024. Under this collaboration, HKSMEA will provide valuable data from local restaurants and shops to optimize SenseTime's AI assistant, Sensechat, specifically designed for Cantonese-speaking users. This initiative aims to bolster Hong Kong's tourism, catering, and retail sectors, which have been impacted by global economic instability [fafff099].
The partnership underscores SenseTime's commitment to leveraging AI technology for societal empowerment and enhancing user experiences in local businesses. With the rapid growth of AI, the collaboration is expected to create new opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong, allowing them to better engage with customers and improve service delivery [fafff099].
This partnership comes at a time when the Hong Kong government is also advancing its own AI initiatives. Recently, the government announced plans to adopt a local version of ChatGPT to improve public services, developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Centre (HKGAI). This tool will assist public service staff in drafting, translating, and summarizing documents, thereby enhancing efficiency across various departments [b4d7088a].
Moreover, the government is working on a pilot scheme to facilitate cross-border data transfers in the Greater Bay Area, which has already attracted around 100 organizations. This initiative demonstrates a broader commitment to promoting data sharing and collaboration, further complementing the efforts of private sector partnerships like that of HKSMEA and SenseTime [91253277].