The need to diversify Hong Kong’s economy while playing to the city’s strengths is clearer than ever amid rising global uncertainty and competition. The 2023 policy address was full of initiatives aimed at sharpening Hong Kong’s competitive edge and turning it into a hub of innovation and technology.

As global politics drift towards a more fractured world order, countries and cities are scrambling to sustain stability while erecting barriers. By tapping into Hong Kong’s global market access, the data transfer agreement can pilot China into the future with Hong Kong at the helm.

Without legally binding governance standards, the foundation of modern AI systems will remain dangerously susceptible to abuse. A multipronged approach drawing from diverse fields, including ethics, is needed to bring accountability to AI systems.

The upcoming launch of the new eHealth+ system aims to connect the entire Hong Kong healthcare ecosystem and help patients better manage their health. Digital healthcare could bring cost savings, more efficiency, better data security and further integration with systems in the Greater Bay Area.

Complaints by students featured in ‘To My Nineteen-year-old Self’ about their lack of input regarding the film’s production or release highlight a need to balance creative vision with integrity. Ensuring everyone knows their rights and obligations is vital if filmmakers are to continue making worthwhile content.

Teachers fear the end of mainstream teaching with the advent of AI tools that can spit out instant essays. But a ban is not the answer – students must be taught to wield the power of technology and sidestep the limitations.

High-profile events announced to the world Hong Kong is back. Going beyond the glitz, measures to attract global talent aren’t enough. We must believe in the ability of our own talent to transform our city yet again, and act quickly to persuade our young people to stay.

While imperfect on many counts, at least we can celebrate an important victory that could have big results in the long run. As the US and the likes of China and India throw their economic weight into the clean-energy revolution, their participation could spark a chain reaction.

The new system won’t mean giving up all our rights to privacy in return for a shot at a normal life. And it is by no means a panacea for all our pandemic woes. But in a dynamic Covid-19 situation with few options left, a health code can help reduce transmission risks and aid economic recovery.

With the digital economy now about 15.5 per cent of global GDP, countries are restricting cross-border data flows in a bid for data supremacy. To deploy its long-standing strength as the intermediary between China and the world, Hong Kong must excel at handling, storing and processing data.

Hong Kong’s ability to balance local values with global ideas, and its openness to anyone with a zeal for hard work and innovation, has brought the city prosperity. This is the spirit in which the new government must go forward to reverse the outward flow of talent and restore the city’s global standing.

Through the metaverse, Hong Kong can overcome the economic challenges of Covid-19 and land restraints, create new business models and offer the young social freedom. But first, it needs to focus on development and building substance with a long-term outlook.

A renewed focus on art and culture, backed by government support, will build on the resurgence in interest in Canto-pop and Hong Kong identity. Tapping the potential of the creative industries will not only benefit Hong Kong’s economy, but also offer young people new opportunities.

Hong Kong can no longer sideline digital payment or its surrounding technology while the global payment landscape develops by leaps and bounds. The mainland has been reimagining the concept of money for years, and it is time for us to join in.

While novel technologies will have their flaws, NFTs can spur Hong Kong-based artists to experiment beyond the confines of urban spaces. If such an unorthodox business model proves viable, NFTs might represent a big leap towards the perfect combination of art, finance and blockchain technology.

The underlying issue in youth employment is the mismatch between what the economy needs and what the education system is producing. The government must go beyond its Band-Aid solution of creating temporary jobs to address this mismatch.

Those with job security concerns are less likely to adopt or pay heed to the contact-tracing app, which unfairly disadvantages the poor. Not everyone has a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or stable internet connection to keep the app running smoothly.

Policymakers in the Greater Bay Area should establish a closed-loop regional network within which the free movement of digital goods and services can be carefully monitored.

The chief executive’s Greater Bay Area youth employment scheme not only opens the door to new opportunities when traditional pathways in Hong Kong are stagnating, but will also add impetus to the city’s digital transformation.

Hong Kong is struggling to keep up with Shenzhen and other cities competing for tech talent and firms with subsidies and other favourable policies. As we push out into a different Greater Bay Area, we must learn to embrace change and rewire our mindset.

Our education model needs revamping, to inject energy and innovation as entrepreneurship can only be honed through experimentation. To succeed, we must refresh our knowledge pool with digital know-how rooted in creativity, collaboration, communication and compassion.

Hong Kong’s millennials face diminished economic opportunities, widening income inequality and perceived interference with their way of life. More must be done to increase their political and economic participation, tapping their digital fluency.