Hong Kong will soon open its first convenience store operated by a humanoid robot as part of the city’s push to integrate AI into everyday life and deepen residents’ understanding of the technology, the finance chief has said.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also revealed on Sunday that a high-level government committee dedicated to AI development in Hong Kong had been formed and would hold its first meeting this month.
The 24-hour convenience store was located on the waterfront in Hung Hom and would feature a humanoid robot able to serve locals and visitors alike in different languages, Chan said on his weekly blog.
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The store was developed by a mainland Chinese company focused on embodied AI, he said, without identifying the firm.
Embodied AI refers to the integration of AI into physical systems, such as robots or self-driving cars, that use sensors to perceive the environment, make real-time decisions and physically interact with the world.
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The store would be the company’s first outside the mainland, and its choice of Hong Kong was a recognition of the city’s open market and its role in showcasing innovation to the rest of the world, Chan said.