Hong Kong employers want to fill more than 2,000 artificial intelligence (AI) jobs as the city pushes to transform into an innovation and technology hub.
The vacancies will be featured at the Cyberport Career Fair, which takes place on Friday and Saturday. More than 580 organisations will attend, including start-ups, tech companies, government departments and firms like Hang Seng Bank and Centaline Property.
About 70 per cent of recruiters would be looking to hire AI professionals, and nearly 60 per cent of the positions would be related to AI applications, said Ricky Choi, the smart-living director at Cyberport.
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“In the past, everyone might have thought that Hong Kong was primarily focused on finance,” Choi said. “Gradually, we’ve noticed a slight shift in this sector, especially this year, with 67 per cent [of employers] coming from the smart-living industry.”
Smart living includes environmental, retail, health, robotics, Internet of Things and education technologies, he said.
Notably, the education technology sector accounts for 29 per cent of the job openings, representing the largest share across industries, Choi said.
The demand for AI talent in Hong Kong remains substantial as the industry booms. One in three professionals in Hong Kong was considering switching to AI-related careers, according to digital job platform TechJobAsia.
Positions requiring AI skills offered salaries up to 24 per cent higher than those without, the platform said, adding that the monthly salary for junior AI engineers ranged from HK$24,000 (US$3,088) to HK$31,000.
A view of Cyberport in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. Photo: Jelly Tse alt=A view of Cyberport in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. Photo: Jelly Tse>
The fresh perspectives of young people could inspire creativity in AI and drive technological advancement, said Perry Chan, CEO of DefyPay, a blockchain technology start-up and a recruiter attending the career fair.
“Jobseekers do not need a specific academic background, and even being a ‘blank slate’ is acceptable,” he said. “The key lies in their thinking abilities and their attitude towards embracing new things.”
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po pledged to make AI development a key economic driver when unveiling a belt-tightening 2025-26 budget last month.
The government would spend HK$1 billion to establish a Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, among other technology-related initiatives worth billions, he said.
Talent is among five key areas of focus, Chan said at the Technology for Change conference on Wednesday. The others are supercomputing capabilities, algorithms, data and capital.
“Beyond investing more resources into AI development, we are committed to creating a more pro-innovation environment that facilitates the testing and trial of AI applications,” Chan said.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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