Hong Kong’s forthcoming “AI City Brain” — an integrated city management system harnessing artificial intelligence in response to scenarios such as extreme weather and major incidents — is set to complete initial-phase construction by the first quarter of 2028, at an estimated cost of HK$200 million ($25.5 million).

Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki discussed the plans on Thursday.

Authorities also expect the system to take six to nine years to reach full operation, Chan said, adding that the initiative is based on the experience of comparable city projects on the Chinese mainland.

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The details came a day after the system’s creation was announced in the city’s first five-year plan, which sets out the city’s long-term development trajectory, and in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest Policy Address, which details measures for the year ahead.

“Once the AI brain is up and running, it’ll be of great help to city management — benefits residents are sure to feel,” Chan said. The official public service hotline (1823) and the government’s emergency-related system data connection will be among the first to go online, expected by the third quarter of 2028, he added.

The Policy Address pledged a dedicated task force for the AI City Brain system, which will be chaired by Chan and made up of representatives from across the government.

Chan said the task force is eyeing a fourth-quarter launch this year, and that the system will begin by linking up the digital infrastructure of the Security Bureau’s Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre to improve cross-departmental responses to extreme weather and major incidents.

Chan said the HK$200 million will be used to integrate the existing computer systems of various departments, which currently operate separately, and to add AI functions.

But the total budget has yet to be confirmed, as uncertainties remain due to fast-changing technologies.

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Chan said that the City Brain will not be used to oversee individuals or investigate crimes; rather, it is a city management tool designed to integrate the relevant data systems currently operated separately by various government departments.

The combined data will allow for more accurate predictions and preemptive deployments, reducing urban-life incidents such as traffic congestion, water pipe failures, or flooding after extreme weather events, he said.

“It helps with city management matters — traffic conditions, flooding and the like”, Chan said. “Residents care a great deal about these issues, as they directly affect their daily lives.”

Citing an example, he said the government’s 1823 service center often receives reports from residents about water pipe leaks, while the Water Supplies Department maintains its own database on high-risk leak and burst-pipe locations. By sharing and analyzing these data sets with AI assistance, government departments will be able to assess risks and act earlier, Chan said.

He also reassured the public that the AI City Brain is based on data already collected through legal means, and that personal privacy is not at risk.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com