Hong Kong to open first convenience store operated by humanoid robot in AI push

Hong Kong will soon open its first convenience store operated by a humanoid robot as part of the city’s push to integrate AI into everyday life and deepen residents’ understanding of the technology, the finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also revealed on Sunday that a high-level government committee dedicated to AI development in Hong Kong had been formed and would hold its first meeting this month. The 24-hour convenience store was located on the waterfront in Hung Hom and would feature a humanoid robot able to serve locals and visitors alike in different languages, Chan said on his weekly blog. The store was developed by a mainland Chinese company focused on embodied AI, he said, without identifying the firm. Embodied AI refers to the integration of AI into physical systems, such as robots or self-driving cars, that use sensors to perceive the environment, make real-time decisions and physically interact with the world. The store would be the company’s first outside the mainland, and its choice of Hong Kong was a recognition of the city’s open market and its role in showcasing innovation to the rest of the world, Chan said. “According to the firm, Hong Kong was chosen as the first stop for the retail store’s expansion outside the mainland because of the city’s international showcase platform, its openness to testing new technologies and the visibility it offers to innovation and technology projects,” he said. The country’s leading advantages across emerging industries and Hong Kong’s role as a key global fundraising centre for such enterprises had further strengthened the city’s appeal to start-ups and technology companies, the minister added. The hi-tech store also demonstrated the accelerating integration of artificial intelligence into daily life, Chan said. To further that goal, the government had formed the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy, which would also hold its first meeting this month, the finance chief said. Counting AI experts, academics and industry players among its members, the committee will study the use of AI in life and health sciences, embodied AI and application strategies across different areas of society. The government was also working to improve the public’s understanding of the new technology, according to the minister. “While we vigorously promote AI development to empower industries and enhance economic competitiveness, we also hope to bring convenience that residents can genuinely feel and to create new highlights for development,” he said. Citing the government’s “AI Training for All” initiative, Chan said the government had earmarked HK$50 million (US$6.38 million) for AI application courses, seminars and competitions, aiming to sponsor more than 200 events that attract 50,000 participants within two years. Courses would be tailored to the different needs of groups in the community, the minister explained. “For students, training can place greater emphasis on hands-on practice,” he said. “To help elderly people gain a basic understanding of AI tools, apply them more effectively and avoid deception, we will first provide training to community members and students, enabling them to serve as ambassadors who assist the elderly in learning AI, thereby promoting intergenerational inclusion and building a more caring community.” Chan also highlighted Hong Kong’s growing computing power, which had reached 5,000 petaflops and was expected to hit 180,000 by 2032 with the development of the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster in the planned Northern Metropolis near the mainland border. A petaflop is a measurement of a computer’s speed and is equal to a quadrillion operations per second.