The Hong Kong government is set to adopt a locally developed AI tool, similar to ChatGPT, following OpenAI’s decision to further block access to its model in Hong Kong and mainland China. Innovation and Technology Secretary Sun Dong announced on Saturday that the AI application, initially intended for government clerical use, would gradually be made available to all residents.

Sun described the tool as the “Hong Kong version of ChatGPT,” highlighting its capabilities to understand complex prompts and generate humanlike responses. The new AI programme, named the “document editing co-pilot application for civil servants,” was developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Centre (HKGAI). This centre operates under the government’s InnoHK innovation programme and was established in October last year by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in partnership with four other tertiary institutions.

“We will eventually open the use of the system to the whole society of Hong Kong,” Sun stated during a radio interview, noting that the system would be refined based on user feedback. “The system will only function well by extensive training and usage, and our trial of the system has been smooth,” he added.

The move comes as a response to OpenAI’s increased restrictions, aiming to ensure Hong Kong maintains access to advanced AI technologies for both government and public use.