HONG KONG SAR –
Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2025 – The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) today released the results of the “AI Readiness in Workplace Survey 2025”, which delves into the overall readiness, actual needs, challenges and future development opportunities of local enterprises in the application of artificial intelligence (AI). Building on these insights, HKPC set out eight strategic recommendations to drive broad and deep integration of AI across industries and to accelerate enterprise digital transformation.
As AI emerges as the core engine of a new wave of industrial transformation, the HKSAR Government’s latest Policy Address explicitly designates AI as a pillar industry for Hong Kong’s future development. In light of this trajectory, local enterprises face mounting urgency to accelerate AI deployment, embed AI into core operations, and build sustainable, AI-driven competitiveness. To assess the current state of adoption, the HKPC Academy, under HKPC, conducted a survey in September 2025, successfully interviewing around 800 local companies. The major findings are as follows:
AI Applications Enter a New Phase: From Tool Trials to Full Integration
AI technology is moving from initial trials to comprehensive integration and has become an important support for enterprises’ digital transformation and strategic upgrades.
- Widespread use of AI tools: 88% of employees in surveyed companies have already used AI tools in their day-to-day work, mainly in customer service, data analysis, and marketing.
- Integrating AI into Formal Workflows: 92% of respondents plan to gradually introduce AI into related workflows in the future, with 24% planning to fully implement it within one year, indicating a strong willingness to drive adoption.
- Institutional and Governance Framework Development: 45% of the surveyed enterprises already have officially recognised AI platforms for employees to use, and more than half (54%) of them said they do not have a complete or ongoing AI governance framework or policy for the time being.
- Recognition of application benefits: Respondents believe that AI can help increase productivity, reduce production costs, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experience.
Enterprises Face Five Major Challenges in AI Application: Talent Gap and Data Security as Core Obstacles
Despite the increasing popularity of AI technology applications, enterprises still face multiple challenges in practice:
- Lack of AI Expertise and Training: Talent development lags technology, becoming the top hurdle to AI rollout.
- Data Privacy and Security Concerns: Enterprises have concerns about data handling, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
- Difficulty in Integrating with Existing Systems: Incompatible technical architectures leads to complex and costly deployments.
- Employee Resistance or Readiness Gaps: Weak digital culture and limited awareness of transformation contribute to slow implementation.
- High Implementation Costs: Cost pressures are particularly significant for SMEs with limited resources, impacting their willingness to adopt.
“Three Directions and Eight Actions” Lead Enterprises to Accelerate the Implementation of AI Applications
To address the above challenges, HKPC has put forward eight recommendations to plan a systematic AI transformation roadmap for enterprises, from human resources, strategic layout to organisational culture:
Establishing AI Foundations:
1. Develop a clear AI development strategy and long-term plan.
2. Strengthen leadership from the top and cross-departmental collaboration to establish a top-down transformation promotion mechanism.
3. Establish a data governance and security compliance framework, along with a trusted AI application foundation
Deepening Operational Integration:
4. Implement AI skills training for all employees and cultivate a digital organisational culture.
5. Promote the integration of AI systems with internal corporate systems to lower technical barriers.
6. Deeply embed AI tools into business processes to improve operational efficiency.
Achieving Sustainable Impact:
7. Implement the “One Enterprise, One AI Coach” Scheme to empower AI professionals to continuously promote AI training and application within the organisation.
8. Establish an AI investment return assessment and optimization mechanism.
Dr Lawrence CHEUNG, Chief Technology Officer of HKPC, said, “In the digital economy era, AI has become an indispensable core pathway driving digital transformation for enterprises. Its application has shifted from being the domain of the technical department to a necessary skill for all employees. We encourage enterprises to craft a clear AI development blueprint and systematically plan their future technological roadmap and talent strategy. Top-level design should lead business innovation to build sustainable competitiveness. HKPC will continue to play the roles of ‘promoter, connector, implementer, and gatekeeper’ to facilitate the deep integration of AI with industry. In the future, we will connect the four key elements of ‘standards, technology, talent, and scenarios’ to ensure that AI applications are responsible, scalable, and sustainable. Through demonstrative guidance, we aim to drive intelligent upgrades in the industry and help Hong Kong become a global AI+ model city, achieving dual enhancements in the economy and people’s livelihoods.”
HKPC Empowers Enterprises‘ Digitally Transformation with the “AI for All” Initiative
To accelerate the adoption of AI technology, HKPC has officially launched the “AI for All” initiative, which comprehensively enhances the AI application capabilities of enterprise employees and the public through training empowerment, technical support and industry collaboration, and assists enterprises in their digital transformation.
Internally, HKPC is leading the way in cultivating an AI culture, providing over 6,000 hours of AI training to employees, with an average of 5.5 hours of training per person. Various departments have actively promoted over 100 internal AI application projects and developed the innovative AI tool “HKPC Picasso”, which has effectively improved internal work efficiency and provided a transformation model for the industry.
In terms of
enterprise AI skills support, HKPC assists enterprises in establishing AI governance frameworks and compliance guidelines, providing clear standards for data security, privacy protection, and ethics across the industry. On the other hand, the
HKPC Academy systematically promotes talent cultivation, provides professional courses, qualification certifications, and capacity improvement programs, and continues to provide AI professionals to the industry to improve the industrial ecosystem. Over the past two years, HKPC Academy has provided over 500 AI-related training activities, training approximately 22,000 people, reflecting the high demand for AI skills in the market. Currently, HKPC Academy offers more than 20 AI courses, teaching practical AI combat skills from simple to deep. In order to support the learning of corporate employees, those who enroll in designated online courses can receive an additional nine online courses. HKPC Academy will also collaborate with leading technology companies to invite instructors with practical experience to teach and launch a series of free AI activities to help corporate employees and the public master AI skills.
In terms of
industrial applications, HKPC actively aligns with Government policy objectives, formulates a clear roadmap for AI+ development for enterprises, and verifies the effectiveness of the technology through scenario pilots. To lower the entry threshold for enterprises, HKPC not only provides “lightweight, low-threshold” AI solutions covering applications such as customer service automation, document intelligence, and demand forecasting, but also integrates around 250 digital solutions from the Mainland and Hong Kong , along with numerous application cases through the “Digital DIY” platform, providing SMEs and individuals with around intuitive technical references and implementation paths, helping enterprises quickly achieve initial transformation. At present, AI technology has achieved concrete results in three major areas: the introduction of visual inspection and predictive maintenance in the field of
smart manufacturing to improve production capacity and yield; In the field of
cyber security, AI attack and defense drill platforms are used to strengthen enterprise protection capabilities; In the field of
smart city, data analysis is used to optimise the efficiency of transportation, environment, and public services.
In conjunction with the release of this survey, the HKPC Academy held the “HR + L&D Mixer” event on the same day, with the theme of “Redesigning Work and Employee Experience in the Age of AI”. The event invited 100 leaders from human resources, technology, and industry to discuss the impact of AI on job design, talent development, and future skills, promoting companies to strengthen employee experience and cultural construction during transformation.
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