Forum for World Education- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Conference on AI, Technology, and Education

Distinguished guests, scholars, and fellow educators. Good morning.

First, I would like to express my gratitude to the Forum for World Education and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for hosting this vital dialogue.

It is an honour to stand before such an esteemed assembly of policymakers, school leaders, AI developers and top local and international scholars leading the way in educational research.

The theme that brings us together today is "The Power and Perils of AI for Primary and Secondary Education". This title perfectly captures the dual nature of our current moment. We must acknowledge this reality: Artificial Intelligence is both a great opportunity and a complex challenge for education.

Let us look back for a moment. Throughout history, our education systems have faced new technological changes. We previously adapted to the printing press and learned to use personal computers.

Yet, AI is fundamentally different. It does not merely store or transmit information, as past tools did. Instead, it thinks, creates, and talks back. In essence, AI is a transformative and lifelong learning companion, if used with care. If there is anxiety about its rise, that is understandably justified. But, as educators and leaders, we must never let anxiety stop us. Instead, we must let it propel us to take forward the strategic measures in advocating the use of AI in education.

Today, I am therefore here to announce that Hong Kong is fully committed to embracing this shift. We are moving decisively into a new era. Classrooms will change into dynamic learning hubs where students apply and create knowledge. This is an era that fosters digital strengths and innovation.

Our government is taking proactive steps to lead this transformation. By strategically aligning with our nation's broader technological vision, and by harnessing the collective strength of our academics and industry pioneers, Hong Kong is forging a new path that will resonate globally and set an enduring benchmark for AI integration in education. We are confidently directing the winds of change.

To guide this, we have a clear, unified vision. We have built a solid foundation in promoting IT in education over the last two decades.  By seeking vertical alignment with our national strategy of invigorating the country through science and education, and with the White Paper on Smart Education in China, issued in 2025, we leverage our unique advantages. Backed by the motherland’s robust technological resources and connected to the world’s cutting-edge educational philosophies, we are positioning Hong Kong as a world-class education hub.

Our strategic vision is in direct alignment with our national goal of building an education powerhouse by 2035. Hong Kong remains at the forefront of technological and pedagogical development. We actively learn from international experiences and align our frameworks with national standards, such as the Mainland's May 2025 "Guidelines for AI General Education" and "Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI." This alignment ensures that our students are well-equipped to thrive and lead within the broader technological forces shaping our nation and the competitive global landscape.

To guide this digital transformation, the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education was set up in January 2025. It provides expert advice on the overarching goals and implementation strategies of digital education development. By drawing on successful experiences from local, Mainland and overseas contexts, we also facilitate vital academic and cross-sector collaborations necessary to sustain our momentum. By gathering this collective wisdom, we ensure that our digital transformation is not just an empty slogan, but a systematically promoted and robustly executed reality.

Soon we will see the results of this committed work. We will release of the "Blueprint for Digital Education in Primary and Secondary Schools" later in 2026.  The Blueprint uses AI as the engine to drive digital education forward.  It aims to advance both learning about artificial intelligence, i.e. “AI education”, and the use of AI in learning, i.e. “AI in education.” Building upon Hong Kong's educational advantages of inclusivity and equity, our vision takes a "student-centric" approach.

This Blueprint is going to act as the master policy document for embedding AI into the educational system.  It addresses 4 key focus areas: (1) enhancing students' digital literacy and ethical use of technology, enabling them to become responsible citizens and lifelong learners; (2) strengthening teacher training in digital education and reshaping pedagogical paradigms; (3) optimising digital education infrastructure and support to drive schools towards becoming smart campuses; and (4) fostering cross-sector collaboration to co-create a digital education ecosystem.

Most importantly, the Blueprint introduces the "AI Literacy Learning Framework." This provides schools with clear, actionable curriculum guidelines. It is a spiral framework that connects different learning stages. It covers cognition, application, innovation, and, most crucially, ethics and morality. Apart from learning about AI in technology education, we adopted an "AI+ subjects" approach, organically integrating AI learning and application across all disciplines.

Our vision is for students to learn to perceive and understand AI in early primary school, and progress to sophisticated applications by their senior secondary years. By fostering an awareness of "human-machine collaboration," we empower students to use AI as their driving force for personalised and self-directed learning.

Turning to my next point: harnessing the power of AI through financial resources.  In the 2025 Policy Address, the Chief Executive earmarked $2 billion from the Quality Education Fund for primary and secondary schools. This funding support facilitates the school sector in implementing digital education and developing the pedagogies needed to make AI a force for excellence in learning and teaching.

From this reserve, we launched our key initiative in December 2025: the AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme. Every successful applicant from our publicly funded schools receives $500,000 to procure AI tools and subsidise students to participate in learning activities for enhancing their AI literacy. I am delighted to report an overwhelming response: All eligible schools, including our special schools, have applied and received the approval of funding from the Education Bureau. This proves that our schools are ready to integrate the use of AI in learning and teaching.

We also launched the "AI for Science Education" Funding Programme, providing $100,000 for over 200 publicly-funded secondary schools, representing roughly half of all such schools in the territory, to pilot AI within the junior secondary science curriculum. By partnering closely with university experts to provide training courses for teachers, these schools enable us to evaluate AI’s effectiveness in the science subject before a broader rollout.

 We also partner with Hong Kong Education City, our government-funded partner and the digital backbone of our educational ecosystem.

Our STAR platform now houses over 73,000 assessment items and uses AI diagnostics to help students identify their own learning gaps, fostering a culture of genuine, self-directed progress and freeing teachers to focus on high-impact instruction.

Furthermore, EdCity serves as the vital distribution hub for the deliverables of our $500 million e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme. This initiative brings together schools, universities, and the business community to co-create digital solutions tailored to our local teaching needs.

This brings us to our most important asset: our teachers. We must remember one basic truth: technology can never replace the care and professional judgment of human educators. Teachers are, and always be, the most important drivers of digital transformation of education.

Let me be perfectly clear.  We are here to uplift, empower and support teachers. Our policy goal is "AI for All Subjects.". We aim to equip teachers across all subjects, not just information technology, to confidently and fluently use AI to assist their teaching.  Whether a teacher is explaining a classical Chinese poem, analysing data in a science lab, or exploring historical landscapes, AI should be a versatile tool that makes a teacher’s job more impactful.

On better equipping our entire professional workforce, we have systematically rolled out the comprehensive "Digital Education AI in Education Series" of professional development programmes. This series covers: "AI Literacy," "AI+Subjects," and "AI Leadership."  "AI Literacy" ensures all teachers grasp the fundamental operating principles and ethical boundaries of these tools. "AI+Subjects" dives into the practical, pedagogical mechanics of integrating integrating AI into specific disciplines. And "AI Leadership" equips our principals and school leaders with the strategic foresight necessary to manage this digital transformation at a school-wide level.

To ensure this training translates into genuine classroom success, we provide diversified on-site support through our School-based Support Services. A key engine of the support services is the Digital Education Centre of Excellence, which is staffed by frontline teachers with successful digital education experiences. It offers training and on-site support services for other schools and shares good practices for enhancing students' digital literacy and effective AI use. Complementing this peer support, EDB officers, university experts, and Mainland Expert Teachers also work directly with schools.

We also recognise that empowering teachers requires a robust, interconnected network of school and community support.  A prime example of this collaboration is the JC GoAI Project funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. This large-scale project aims to empower teachers of various subjects by co-creating research-backed generative AI tools and curricula alongside frontline educators. This remarkable collaboration provides teachers with the frameworks for integrating AI in teaching that ensures students develop critical, independent thinking.

Now, we must address the other side of the coin. We must balance AI's power with robust guardrails, anchored to the foundational principle "Education as the core, technology as an auxiliary".  We will lay out clear guidelines to help us navigate the perils AI introduces, ensuring that we implement solutions that safeguard our students.  Let me now address the perils and our responses.

First, over-reliance. We must prevent "high-tech, low-thinking" by ensuring that teachers actively monitor students' AI-assisted learning, and position AI strictly as an assisting tool, not a replacement for human thought. When an AI platform can write a perfect essay in seconds, the true test of education is a student’s ability to critically evaluate information. Developing students' judgment, creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking is therefore more vital than ever.

Second, misinformation and "AI hallucinations." AI is not infallible; it can generate biased or fabricated content. To combat this, we are empowering educators to serve as professional gatekeepers. Teachers should rigorously review all AI-generated materials and calibrate tools to eliminate biases before they ever reach the classroom.

Third, we face compliance challenges like "deepfakes,", content that threatens social morals and endangers national security, and privacy breaches. Teachers must lead by example, and teach AI literacy and digital ethics so students navigate this space responsibly. We will also strongly emphasise strict adherence to relevant local laws, such as those relating to personal data privacy and copyright issues.

Fourth, the lack of emotional connection. AI is brilliant but lacks human touch. The EDB firmly addresses critical educational components, such as values education, emotional nurturing and psychological support must remain led by our compassionate, dedicated teachers.

Finally, on the impact of AI on physical and mental health. Unrestricted access to AI can lead to addiction, physical ailments and psychological pressure, particularly on younger, developing minds. For our younger students in lower primary, AI should be limited to basic, experiential exposure.  For upper primary students, generative AI must only be used under the direct supervision of teachers or guardians.  The physical and mental well-being of students must always come first.

Ultimately, we are guarding against professional deskilling: through our "Human-in-the-Loop" philosophy, AI is designed to amplify teachers' capabilities and streamlines workloads. It is a partner, but the human heart and empathy of a teacher cannot be coded. Technology must serve the teacher, never the other way around.

To conclude, integrating AI is an invitation to boldly re-shape our classroom learning and teaching, and unlock the boundless potential of our youth.

Yet, as we take this leap, we remain grounded:  technology must remain auxiliary to the human educator. The humanistic care, empathy, and professional judgment of our teachers must guide this transition, ensuring AI remains a tool for empowerment rather than a source of risk.

This vision requires passionate collaboration across all sectors. I urge everyone here, policymakers, school leaders, teachers and partners, to join forces. Together we will build a resilient digital ecosystem, establishing Hong Kong as a premier international education hub and contribute to our nation's development as an education powerhouse. The groundwork is laid, the resource support is in place, and our vision is clear. Let us turn this shared vision into reality.

Thank you, and I wish you a highly productive, deeply inspiring experience today.