Hong Kong lags behind mainland China in artificial intelligence adoption

Hong Kong businesses are falling behind their mainland Chinese peers when it comes to artificial intelligence adoption, primarily hindered by entrenched legacy systems and a cautious corporate mindset, according to a senior executive at consultancy Accenture.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Robert Hah, the Hong Kong office lead at Accenture Greater China, noted that only 10 percent of surveyed Hong Kong organisations had integrated generative AI across multiple business functions. In contrast, approximately 21 percent of mainland enterprises had achieved the same milestone.

[See more: Hong Kong unveils its first five-year plan]

This regional disparity is largely propelled by mainland China’s rapid progression, which benefits from falling model costs and a flourishing domestic developer ecosystem featuring prominent names like DeepSeek and Alibaba Group Holding. 

Major technology firms, including Ant Group, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba, and Baidu, recently showcased enterprise-focused AI agents at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. This major event highlighted a broader industry shift from merely building foundation models to embedding AI directly into everyday corporate workflows.

The gap in artificial intelligence adoption

While mainland companies have capitalised on this expanding environment through a willingness to reinvent operations, Hong Kong businesses face hurdles due to established IT infrastructures. Hah told the Post that these legacy systems make immediate overhauls less appealing, mirroring Hong Kong’s historically slower embrace of e-commerce compared to the mainland.

This widening divide presents a notable challenge for Hong Kong as local authorities strive to establish the city as a prominent regional technology hub. Under its inaugural five-year plan, Hong Kong has positioned artificial intelligence adoption at the heart of its economic modernisation efforts. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged dual strategies focusing on AI for industries and industries for AI, alongside planned initiatives such as an AI “city brain” system to manage public order and extreme weather events.

Nevertheless, organisational barriers continue to outweigh technological ones. Hah told the Post there was a disconnect between corporate business strategies and AI plans, alongside persistent digital talent shortages. 

Although 84 percent of surveyed Hong Kong organisations expressed intentions to create entry-level roles for AI-fluent professionals, more than half reported difficulties finding suitable candidates. 

To overcome these challenges, firms must fundamentally rethink jobs and workflows rather than simply layering AI tools onto existing processes. Despite these economic and labour pressures, automation efforts are expected to accelerate, spearheaded by early adopters in banking, financial services, and insurance.