Tech innovator uses AI to rebuild David Webb’s Hong Kong database

Tech entrepreneur Keith Li King-wah, co-founder and principal trainer of Allytic AI, has announced plans to rebuild a free database created over 27 years by late Hong Kong corporate governance activist David Webb. Li intends to use artificial intelligence (AI) to modernize the database, which was initially launched in 1998 by Webb.

The database aggregates publicly available information on a wide range of topics, including board compositions, reporting speed of listed companies, Hong Kong consumer prices, and energy consumption trends. When Webb announced in 2021 that he would shut down Webb-site.com, he stated that he did not want the site to be polluted with clickbait, crypto-scams, or used for advocacy.

Li notes that Webb's data and programs were released into the public domain for free use, with the condition that the Webb-site brand name not be used. With Webb no longer able to object or clarify, Li decided to take on the project and bring it into the modern era. Li plans to rewrite the entire database from scratch using AI, keeping only Webb's original logic while discarding the outdated technology of ASP (Active Server Pages) and MySQL (open-source database management system).

Li stated that this process could keep the site running smoothly for at least another 27 years. He added that he is free to add new features, redesign the user interface, and even create an MCP (model context protocol) server for users, all without the constraints of the previous technologies.