(Q5): Developing artificial intelligence
MR CHAN CHUN-YING:
Thank you, President. In order to develop AI technology, it is most important to have sufficient data. Now that we are developing a smart city, I would like to ask whether the Government will consider setting up a more comprehensive data park to collect and consolidate the social data of the whole city, so as to promote the sustainable development of AI in Hong Kong? Thank you.
SECRETARY FOR INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY:
I thank the Member for his question. Data is a very important condition for the development of AI. Computing power, data and talents are all crucial. The SAR Government attaches great importance to the establishment of an international data hub in Hong Kong, which is the so-called “data port”. Apart from continuing to attract overseas data to Hong Kong by leveraging our advantage of openness, we actually signed an important agreement on cross-boundary data flow with the Mainland last year to facilitate the safe and orderly data flow from the Mainland to Hong Kong. With the general direction set, our next step will be implementing data-related policies. The Member’s proposal is very good and we will give it further consideration.
One point related to the proposal made by the Member is that we have proposed to set up the Digital Policy Office this year to focus on policies on data governance, digital government and information technology. It is believed that in the future, we will put forward more feasible and specific proposals on data governance, including the integration, application, opening up and sharing of data, as well as infrastructure and industry development related to data security.