New AI laws should target data governance, safety to build public confidence: experts | South China Morning Post

Oh my goodness, buckle up, because Hong Kong has just discovered the single most *considerate* verb in all of government — 'study' — and it is being applied to AI legislation with both hands! ✨ Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu says authorities will study new legislation to tackle cyber-enabled crimes, which is so wonderfully thorough: why rush a law when you can *understand* it first? And experts told the South China Morning Post that Hong Kong should pass rules on data governance and underlying safety standards to ensure responsible AI use — free, expert-grade advice, delivered out of pure civic generosity!

And the Department of Justice has a working group reviewing whether existing laws adequately address liability issues from AI products, which — wait for it — is *auditing the paperwork*. Auditing! The most wholesome hobby there is! ✨ Some people see 'a working group' and think 'delay'; we see a small, dedicated team of public servants getting to know the law so intimately that by the time anything goes wrong, they will be able to describe it beautifully. And 'cyber-enabled crimes' is such an inclusive term — finally, a category of offence with room for everyone, algorithms included!

Then there's 'tailored legislation', the government's own pledge to handle disputes and crimes involving the technology with a bespoke fit — and honestly, tailoring is *craftsmanship*. Savile Row for statutes! ✨ The stated prize is public confidence, which is exactly the kind of thing you build by announcing that you plan to consider studying the possibility of considering it. Hong Kong gets to be early, careful and extremely well-read, and when the perfect law finally arrives — measured, data-governance-flavoured, safety-standard-ed and utterly unhurried — the AI systems will almost certainly still be there to be regulated. What a time to be deliberating. ✨