HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 October 2025 - The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) today released the results of the "AI Readiness in Workplace Survey 2025", which delves into the overall readiness, actual needs, challenges and future development opportunities of local enterprises in the application of artificial intelligence (AI). Building on these insights, HKPC set out eight strategic recommendations to drive broad and deep integration of AI across industries and to accelerate enterprise digital transformation. As AI emerges as the core engine of a new wave of industrial transformation, the HKSAR Government's latest Policy Address explicitly designates AI as a pillar industry for Hong Kong's future development. In light of this trajectory, local enterprises face mounting urgency to accelerate AI deployment, embed AI into core operations, and build sustainable, AI-driven competitiveness. To assess the current state of adoption, the HKPC Academy, under HKPC, conducted a survey in September 2025, successfully interviewing around 800 local companies. The major findings are as follows: AI Applications Enter a New Phase: From Tool Trials to Full Integration AI technology is moving from initial trials to comprehensive integration and has become an important support for enterprises' digital transformation and strategic upgrades.

• Widespread use of AI tools: 88% of employees in surveyed companies have already used AI tools in their day-to-day work, mainly in customer service, data analysis, and marketing.
• Integrating AI into Formal Workflows: 92% of respondents plan to gradually introduce AI into related workflows in the future, with 24% planning to fully implement it within one year, indicating a strong willingness to drive adoption.
• Institutional and Governance Framework Development: 45% of the surveyed enterprises already have officially recognised AI platforms for employees to use, and more than half (54%) of them said they do not have a complete or ongoing AI governance framework or policy for the time being.
• Recognition of application benefits: Respondents believe that AI can help increase productivity, reduce production costs, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experience.

Enterprises Face Five Major Challenges inAI Application: Talent Gap and Data Security asCore Obstacles Despite the increasing popularity of AI technology applications, enterprises still face multiple challenges in practice:

1. Lack of AI Expertise and Training: Talent development lags technology, becoming the top hurdle to AI rollout.
2. Data Privacy and Security Concerns: Enterprises have concerns about data handling, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
3. Difficulty in Integrating with Existing Systems: Incompatible technical architectures leads to complex and costly deployments.
4. Employee Resistance or Readiness Gaps: Weak digital culture and limited awareness of transformation contribute to slow implementation.
5. High Implementation Costs: Cost pressures are particularly significant for SMEs with limited resources, impacting their willingness to adopt.

"Three Directions and Eight Actions" Lead Enterprises to Accelerate the Implementation of AI Applications To address the above challenges, HKPC has put forward eight recommendations to plan a systematic AI transformation roadmap for enterprises, from human resources, strategic layout to organisational culture: Establishing AI Foundations: 1. Develop a clear AI development strategy and long-term plan. 2. Strengthen leadership from the top and cross-departmental collaboration to establish a top-down transformation promotion mechanism. 3. Establish a data governance and security compliance framework, along with a trusted AI application foundation Deepening Operational Integration: 4. Implement AI skills training for all employees and cultivate a digital organisational culture. 5. Promote the integration of AI systems with internal corporate systems to lower technical barriers. 6. Deeply embed AI tools into business processes to improve operational efficiency. Achieving Sustainable Impact: 7. Implement the "One Enterprise, One AI Coach" Scheme to empower AI professionals to continuously promote AI training and application within the organisation. 8. Establish an AI investment return assessment and optimization mechanism. Dr Lawrence CHEUNG, Chief Technology Officer of HKPC, said, "In the digital economy era, AI has become an indispensable core pathway driving digital transformation for enterprises. Its application has shifted from being the domain of the technical department to a necessary skill for all employees. We encourage enterprises to craft a clear AI development blueprint and systematically plan their future technological roadmap and talent strategy. Top-level design should lead business innovation to build sustainable competitiveness. HKPC will continue to play the roles of 'promoter, connector, implementer, and gatekeeper' to...