Hong Kong developing local version of ChatGPT after OpenAI blocks access

From South China Morning Post: 2024-07-13 04:20:50

Hong Kong government departments aim to use a local version of ChatGPT by year end after OpenAI blocks access to its API for the city and mainland China. The AI application will be available to all residents, developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Centre under InnoHK.

The system, dubbed the “Hong Kong version of ChatGPT”, is a civil servants’ clerical assistance system. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology, and Industry, notes it will be open to all Hong Kong residents and refined based on user feedback. Development began after OpenAI’s original ChatGPT launch.

OpenAI will block connections to its API in unsupported regions, including those sanctioned by the US such as Iran, North Korea, and Russia, along with mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Hong Kong government initiatives aim to develop such AI systems to support industries given the significant investment required.

Hong Kong and mainland China launched a pilot scheme to ease cross-border data transfer in the Greater Bay Area last December. Around 100 organizations have joined the scheme, with plans to expand to cover more sectors in the region. Standard contracts will ensure safe data flow for contractual purposes within the bay area.



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