Google has said it will gradually open its Gemini Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to all users in Hong Kong, with the accompanying mobile app to follow.
For years, Hong Kong has been ranked alongside mainland China, Syria and North Korea as a place where tech firms avoid rolling out their AI chatbots.
OpenAI and Microsoft did not comment when approached by The Wall Street Journal in 2023 as to why access in Hong Kong had been limited.
Some residents have nevertheless accessed overseas AI tools via third-party apps and Virtual Private Network (VPN) circumvention tools. Google’s Gemini was officially made available to paid-for business users in 2024.
The US tech firm describes Gemini as a multimodal tool, allowing users to interact with information across text, images, and audio, and generate media from images to music tracks.
“We believe expanding the Gemini experience will drive more creativity and productivity for the city, and help achieve our commitment of ‘advancing Hong Kong, together,’” Michael Yue, managing director and general manager of Google Hong Kong, said in a Monday press release.
“Going forward, we will continue to responsibly build a full-stack AI ecosystem, making AI more helpful for everyone.”
Google’s Gemini models are set to be integrated into Apple Intelligence this year, according to CNBC.
Analysis of Google AI training data in 2023 found that HKFP was the most-cited news outlet in Hong Kong.
Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek has been available in Hong Kong since its launch last year. However, its answers about the 2019 Hong Kong protests, the Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s status, and other topics echo Beijing’s party line, according to test questions posed by HKFP.
Anthem row
Following the onset of the 2020 national security law and National Anthem Ordinance, Google found itself in the crosshairs.
In 2024, it complied with a court order to remove 32 instances of a pro-democracy protest song.
Google said it was disappointed with the ruling over unofficial “anthem” “Glory to Hong Kong” but was forced to block videos and search results, despite concerns from rights organisations.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.
Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world.