Planned AI ‘City Brain’ system not meant for surveillance – top Hong Kong official

The Hong Kong government is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) "City Brain" system aimed at enhancing urban management and emergency response, not for surveillance, according to Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan. The system, which is set to be formed in the fourth quarter of 2026, will monitor traffic and urban conditions rather than individual activities or criminal behavior.

Chan explained that, for instance, when a water pipe bursts, the data from the City Brain system can be immediately utilized by the Transport Department to deploy necessary resources promptly. The government plans to complete the first stage of the project's development by the first quarter of 2028, with full operational capacity expected to take six to nine years to achieve.

The City Brain software, originally developed by Alibaba in China, has been adopted by cities across the mainland and even in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. It functions by consolidating real-time data from various sources, including CCTV cameras, smart sensors, government databases, social media, and mobile apps, to optimize urban governance elements like traffic lights, waste management, and more.

The upcoming integration of existing systems, such as the Civil Engineering and Development Department's AI Landslip Warning System and the Drainage Services Department's AI Flood Monitoring System, will further enhance the City Brain's capabilities. The project will also introduce a new "Inter-departmental Major Incident Platform" within the police force to centralize real-time data from all units during major public incidents.