Hong Kong to focus on infrastructure monitoring in first phase of ‘AI city brain’

Hong Kong's authorities have announced their plan to incorporate infrastructure monitoring into the initial phase of their AI-powered urban management system, referred to as the "AI city brain." This decision was made during a Legislative Council meeting on Tuesday, where officials outlined their objectives and strategies for the project.

Undersecretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Lillian Cheong Man-lei emphasized that the government will prioritize integrating various databases focused on city infrastructure conditions, such as the Lands Department's geospatial database and the underground utilities system. The Buildings Department's system, which converts building plans into 3D models, as well as information systems on highways, weather, and landslide monitoring, will also be connected to the AI city brain.

Cheong stated that the ultimate goal is to create a smart decision platform that collects, shares, and analyzes interdepartmental data, enhancing the government's capability in resource allocation, decision-making, prediction, and alerts. This initiative is part of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's latest policy address, which aims to consolidate databases maintained by different government arms and create a data-sharing environment.

A task force chaired by Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki will oversee the program, with an expected completion of the first phase in the first quarter of 2028, with a budget of HK$200 million (US$25.48 million) allocated for this stage. While the early stage will primarily focus on urban management and emergency response, authorities are exploring potential scenarios for later incorporation, including the expansion of the AI city brain to cover public service databases.