Google’s Gemini AI chatbot finally rolling out to all Hongkongers

2026-03-16 - 08:05

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. Google Gemini. Photo: HKFP screenshot. For years, Hong Kong has been ranked alongside mainland China, Syria and North Korea as places 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 Gemini. Photo: HKFP screenshot. 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 A photo taken on May 15, 2024, shows a YouTube video of protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” is blocked for local users. Photo: Screenshot. 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.