90 percent faster?
Hong Kong means business.

What happens when you don’t just test AI, but really integrate it? It’s the question of our time. And Hong Kong now delivers the answer. In total, 30 pilot phases are running there across 13 authorities, including ten especially large flagship projects. AI is being used, among other things, for traffic licences, permits for food and beverage businesses, leisure offerings, complaints management, and environmental protection. But what actually changes as a result? The government has just given its first answers:

In individual processes, waiting or processing times could be cut by up to 90 percent. Internal workflows that previously took several days could in some cases be shortened to just a few hours. When analysing and pre-sorting cases, the time needed dropped by at least half in some instances.

The interesting part, though, isn’t just the AI. Hong Kong explicitly combines the use of new technology with process reengineering. So it’s not just about integrating AI into an existing process — the whole workflow gets put on the test bench at the same time. That naturally also reveals general opportunities for improvement. A win-win situation. And it’s working so well that Hong Kong wants to keep going:

Solutions that work in one authority are then meant to be transferred to comparable processes in other authorities. The government explicitly names recurring tasks like appointment bookings, licence applications, inspections, enquiries or monitoring for this.

That’s how the city is becoming a genuine role model for municipalities worldwide. In particular, the dual approach of integrating AI while critically evaluating current processes at the same time is worth imitating. Or what do you think?

Image: Henry Lai for Unsplash

Source:
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, “Govt’s efficacy enhancement set” / “AI Efficacy Enhancement Team announces implementation of first batch of 30 Efficacy Enhancement Projects”, 17 August 2026.
https://lnkd.in/ek8fYjea

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