Jamie Liu

The World Internet Conference will host its Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong for the first time from April 14 to 15, exploring topics such as artificial intelligence trends.

Some 1,000 professionals from around the world will attend the summit whose participants include mainland tech giants Baidu, Ant Group and "Hangzhou's Six Little Dragons," referring to six fast-rising enterprises including DeepSeek and Game Science, the firm behind hit video game Black Myth: Wukong.

At a press conference in Beijing yesterday, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said Hong Kong will make its locally-developed generative AI available for public use this year.

He also emphasized the importance of regulation, saying the government will soon publish a guideline on generative AI for developers, service providers and users.

Regarding the WIC's decision to host the summit in Hong Kong, Sun said it underscores the city's role as a global hub for innovation and technology collaboration. While traditionally Hong Kong has been regarded as a financial, trade and shipping center, Sun said it is now trying to establish itself as a global I&T hub, focusing on key industries such as digital economy, AI, data science and robotics.

He pledged to deepen international exchanges through the summit.

WIC secretary general Ren Xianliang said the organization hopes to "leverage Hong Kong's unique advantage as a bridge to the world, to build a platform for dialogue."

The summit will have for its theme "Integration of AI and Digital Technologies Shaping the Future - Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace."

The two-day event at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will feature forums exploring tech trends in AI, digital finance, e-government and smart living.

United Nations representatives, senior government officials, business leaders, leading corporations as well as experts and scholars from various countries and regions are expected to attend.

Ren said the summit will focus on topics such as the development of large AI models, cost reduction through technological innovation, the construction of an open-source ecosystem and high-performance computing chips.

The WIC was established as an international organization in 2022, with headquarters in Beijing. Over 180 institutions, organizations and individuals from nearly 40 countries in six continents have become members, according to Ren.

Sun Dong vows to deepen international exchanges through the summit. sing tao

Tech giants bolster summit