Hong Kong expands AI sandbox with projects that include banks, securities and insurance
Hong Kong’s financial regulators have selected the first batch of projects for an expanded generative artificial-intelligence (GenAI) testing programme spanning banking, securities, insurance and pensions, as the city explores the use of more autonomous AI agents in financial services.
A total of 36 use cases were selected for the first cohort of the expanded GenAI Sandbox++ programme, according to a joint statement on Thursday by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Insurance Authority and Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority. The projects involve 30 financial institutions and 27 technology partners, with participants including Ant Bank (Hong Kong), WeChat Pay Hong Kong and HSBC Life (International).
Technical trials are expected to begin later this year on a platform managed by Cyberport’s Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre, the statement showed.
The first cohort will focus on “agentic AI” – systems capable of carrying out tasks and making decisions with a greater degree of autonomy, and the trials will cover end-to-end processes including customer onboarding, payments, insurance claims and customer interactions, according to the statement.
HKMA chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man said that the programme would foster partnerships between a wider range of financial institutions and technology companies, helping Hong Kong strengthen its position as an international financial centre and innovation hub.
“These partnerships are unlocking the potential of agentic AI to create new opportunities. Through the GenAI Sandbox++, the HKMA will continue to promote cross-sectoral and ecosystem collaboration,” Yue said in the statement.
And SFC CEO Julia Leung Fung-yee said: “The financial industry’s exploration of agentic AI marks a pivotal step forward in developing a future-ready Hong Kong market, where greater system autonomy is underpinned by sound governance and clear accountability.”
The Sandbox++ was launched in March as an expansion of the GenAI Sandbox initiated by the HKMA and Cyberport in 2024, bringing together Hong Kong’s four financial regulators and extending testing to securities and capital markets, asset and wealth management, insurance, mandatory provident funds and stored-value facilities.
The initiative continues to focus on three key areas – risk management, fraud prevention and customer experience – while exploring the use of AI to monitor and mitigate risks created by other AI systems.
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