Hong Kong leaders see AI plan boosting jobs, investment, permits

Western Digital said intensifying AI workloads are reshaping storage priorities as data volumes increase.

Business leaders across recruitment, data infrastructure, wealth management and real estate said the AI measures in the 2025 Policy Address could accelerate hiring, investment and project permitting, provided local talent development keeps pace.

Bill Lee, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Jobsdb by SEEK, said the government’s commitment to AI “will help generate new job opportunities in areas such as AI product management and data analytics,” and urged jobseekers to upskill in AI technologies and cross-functional collaboration.

Lee cited platform data showing demand for AI-related roles rose 6% YoY in the first half of 2025, with the strongest growth in banking and financial services (39%), insurance (18%), and sales (15%).

He added that further refinement of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) should prioritise local employment, noting Jobsdb by SEEK’s 2025 Salary Survey found 74% of workers had worried about unemployment in the past 12 months.

On data infrastructure, Western Digital said intensifying AI workloads are reshaping storage priorities as data volumes increase.

“With AI workloads intensifying, data volumes are growing at an unprecedented pace,” said Stefan Mandl, Vice President, Sales & Marketing for APJC.

“It’s no longer enough for data centers and enterprise businesses to just race for capacity—true leadership will be defined by those who prioritize total cost of ownership, predictability and scalable infrastructure.”

In financial services, StashAway welcomed the Policy Address and the $1b earmarked for the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, saying the measures could create opportunities for AI-driven financial innovation.

Stephanie Leung, Chief Investment Officer, said StashAway has used AI since 2017 for algorithmic investment strategies and plans to increase AI investments to expand intelligent-agent capabilities and scale personalised advice, “while blending digital ease with human expertise.”

In real estate, CBRE said greater use of AI in government could affect development timelines and costs. “The initiatives aimed at driving technological reform in government through increased use of AI will hopefully enhance efficiency and streamline various processes in real estate development,” said Marcos Chan, Head of Research, CBRE Hong Kong, adding this could reduce costs and risks for developers.

Hannah Jeong, Head of Valuation & Advisory Services, CBRE Hong Kong, said promoting AI and data science as core industries is expected to increase demand for data centres, research hubs, office space and ancillary facilities, particularly in the Northern Metropolis, and attract investment and collaboration among academia, industry and government.