Technology
AI detection tools spark false plagiarism fears among university students
- 2026-05-31
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: MA Tsz Chiu OscarEdited by: CHENG Tsz Sen Sean
- 2026-05-31
In 2025, Chris, a university nursing student in Hong Kong who asked not to be fully identified, failed a course after a plagiarism detector flagged his project as AI-generated. Chris insisted the work was entirely his own and appealed the failing grade but lost. It forced him to retake the same course, and left him with a reputation for academic dishonesty. Since the launch of generative AI in 2022, many universities have adopted AI detection tools to assess whether student work involves AI-generated content. However, both students and teachers say these tools are often unreliable, raising serious concerns about fairness and due process. Chris and his groupmates were among those students affected. Their assignment, written in both Chinese and English, was flagged as 40% AI-generated by Turnitin, the tool used by their school. Turnitin, used by over 20,000 institutions worldwide, assigns an AI percentage score to submitted assignments, indicating the likelihood that the content is AI-generated. Scores between 1% and 19% are typically hidden. However, Turnitin’s AI detection does not support Chinese. When the group separated the languages, the score dropped below 20%. Despite presenting this evidence, Chris said his department rejected the appeal without explanation. According to the university’s handbook, suspected cases of academic dishonesty should be investigated and discussed in a formal meeting. The Young Reporter inquired of 12 higher education institutions in Hong Kong regarding their AI policies. The Chinese University of Hong Kong responded that it acknowledged the possibility of false positives and said students have the right to appeal through fact-checking interviews. Hong Kong Baptist University responded that teachers may request relevant documents from students, such as records of AI usage and early drafts, to review suspected misuse of AI. Other institutions did not respond. Caleb Lai, 21, a psychology student studying in the UK, …
Policy Address 2025: Hetao Cooperation Park layout to be finalised as Hong Kong aims to speed up area development
- 2025-09-17
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Ludan、Li ZhongyiEdited by: YANG Haicen
- 2025-09-17
Hong Kong hopes to speed up the development of a newly constructed park on the border that is cooperatively managed by Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as part of the government’s focus on innovation and technology, said John Lee Ka-chiu in today's Policy Address. The park’s layout has yet to be finalised even as the first batch of enterprises has already taken up residence in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. “We will finalise the Park’s overall layout and consider offering workspaces flexibly to companies under the ‘moving in while construction is underway’ approach; that will enable them to move in earlier without having to wait for the completion of the entire park's construction,” said Lee. The new tenants include companies and talents specializing in life and health technology, microelectronics, new energy, AI and other pillar industries. This is connected to the government’s broader plan to develop Hong Kong into a global AI hub. The second phase of construction, which includes another five buildings in addition to the current three, will be completed progressively from 2027, Lee said. According to reports from Chinese state media, companies including The Hong Kong and China Gas Company, RoadAGI, Ping An Technology, and Siemens Energy have established a presence in the park. The Cooperation Zone will be used as a dedicated hub for cutting-edge research in biomedicine, artificial intelligence, applied mathematics and new materials. Earlier this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted in the 2025 budget plan that the government has earmarked HK$3.7 billion for the Hetao Innovation Zone, supporting the first-phase construction of infrastructure and public facilities, as it is one of the key projects in the Northern Metropolis development strategy. Chan estimated that upon the full completion of Hong Kong Park, it will contribute approximately HK$52 billion annually …
Policy Address 2025: Government to support low-altitude economy with new action plan
- 2025-09-17
- By: LAU Ka Yan、CHAN Hiu YingEdited by: NG Natasha Goa Sheng
- 2025-09-17
Hong Kong will create more legislation promoting the low-altitude economy, mostly focused on drone activities, said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in the policy address this morning. Potential activities in airspace under 1,000 metres include drone rescues, surveys and deliveries. Food delivery platform Keeta launched drone food delivery in a small area in the New Territories in June. Keeta, along with SF Express and Lalamove, were some of the first applicants to apply for drone activities in March. Improving civil aviation legislation and regulatory framework, promoting infrastructure facilities, organising more talent trainings, enhancing the application system and developing low-altitude economy insurance products were all mentioned in the policy address this year. More complex government plans will establish air route networks, satellite positioning, three-dimensional spatial data systems and a smart and traffic-management system for low-altitude passenger aircrafts, Lee said. “With countless islands in the city, it is a perfect scenario to apply passenger-carrying aircraft,” said Huang Hailong, assistant professor in the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and leader of the university research group on autonomous technology. “For people living on the islands who have urgent medical needs, using drones to access hospitals is more convenient and cost-effective than ships and helicopters.” “In the meantime, the government should establish clear regulations including administrative penalties to curb illegal flights, considering safety should be the first priority in developing the low-altitude economy,” said Huang. He said third-party insurance similar to car insurance can be introduced. “Low-altitude technology can also be applied to sectors including express delivery, emergency rescue and construction monitoring in the future,” said Zhang Feiyang, Research Manager of Our Hong Kong Foundation and one of the authors of the organisation’s policy recommendation report to the government regarding low-altitude economy. “To serve as a global role …
South Korea Presidential Election 2025: Students Embrace AI's Future Potential While Questioning Candidates' Preparedness for Tech Leadership
- 2025-06-03
- Politics
- By: Wang YunqiEdited by: BO Chuxuan
- 2025-06-03
Young voters in South Korea expressed different views on increasing funding for AI development, as some presidential candidates have mentioned AI in their speeches, amid the country's rising financial input for technology research and development. “I think it’s kind of a waste of money because we already have technologies like GPT, and China has DeepSeek. Developing AI requires a lot of information and money,” said Kim Jun Young, an English Education student at Korea University. “Still, we don’t really have sufficient resources to compete on the same level,” she added. Park (assume name), 26, majored in computer science, has also expressed doubts about the practicality and feasibility of AI policies proposed by different candidates. “ I’m doubtful whether they can achieve meaningful advancements in this field,” he said, adding that he thinks many candidates do not understand AI much. South Korea recently increased the research and development budget for 2025 by 16.1 percent year-on-year to a record high of KRW 24.8 trillion (HK$ 141.4 billion) with a focus on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and quantum technology. The ambitious investment aims to position South Korea as a global leader in these fields. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, who leads the poll, has identified AI, renewable energy, and the cultural industries as essential tools for addressing South Korea’s economic challenges meanwhile Kim Moon-soo, first runner-up in the poll, from the conservative People Power Party, promote himself by creating a joint fund to boost AI development. Meanwhile, Lee Jun-seok, the youngest candidate among all, representing the Reform New Party, emphasises the importance of data freedom in AI development and highlights the role of Large Language Models (LLMs) in advancing the industry. AI has become a core driving force for national development, with applications spanning industries …
Augmented reality empowers locals to revisit cultural sites
- 2025-04-09
- Society
- By: CHAN Hiu Ying、Ruoyu LIEdited by: Chun Hei LUK
- 2025-04-09
A red clock has mysteriously appeared on street lamps at Tai Hang, allowing people to revisit and immerse in the past cultural events under an augmented reality project called “City In Time”. Jeffery Wang, 15, a secondary student, walked towards the red clock and scanned the QR code. Then a street scene of Tai Hang from the past appeared on his phone. By turning his phone around, he could see what the area looked like from different perspectives. “It is quite an innovative thing. I have only read about Hong Kong’s past in textbooks. City In Time has given me a unique experience to know more about Hong Kong culture,” he said. "City In Time" allows users to compare and experience historical scenes while standing in present-day surroundings at 39 designated locations around Hong Kong. “The AR technology, primarily used in games, now allows users to immerse themselves in real cultural events at the locations they are standing through this app,” said Wong Tsz-yan, 22, a programme promoter. “Such experiences are more realistic compared to some presentations through picture and text descriptions.” “Few people value Hong Kong’s culture anymore, especially its intangible aspects, and some of them are beginning to be lost,” Wong added. Wong hopes the government can do more to preserve local culture, for example, by raising public awareness on traditional handicrafts, so that they will not be forgotten. Richard William Allen, the project director of City In Time and the chair professor at the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong, said that the project was initiated by the Tourism Commision in 2018. They aimed to develop more types of virtual tours and explore innovative ways to share Hong Kong's rich cultural heritage and environment with tourists and the public. “When this opportunity arose, …
Hong Kong seizes crypto opportunities as Consensus’ Asian host
- 2025-02-19
- Business
- By: WANG RuoshuiEdited by: Yichun Fang、BO Chuxuan、XIA Fan
- 2025-02-19
Hong Kong bolsters its local Web3 industry as it welcomes the world’s top crypto and Web3 summit, Consensus, to launch its Asian debut today, reflecting its growing role as a global hub for virtual asset innovation. The event, organised by the US crypto news outlet CoinDesk, is one of the industry’s biggest conferences. Expected to draw over 8,000 attendees, including 6,000 international delegates, the conference’s agenda underscores the latest topics and trends in the Web3 space. Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in the opening talk that Hong Kong would promote the development of the cryptocurrency market by introducing a series of policies, with nine virtual asset trading platform licenses already issued and more in the pipeline. According to Julia Leung, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, virtual assets now enter the second phase, and Hong Kong is developing a pro-growth strategy. Leung added that Hong Kong will first complete the legislation on virtual asset activities, followed by expansions of its products and services, and then optimise operational processes, including hot wallet and cold wallet provisions. Hong Fang, president of OKX, a licensed crypto trading platform in Hong Kong, pointed out that jurisdictions around the world are stepping up the compliance process in the digital asset space as the US accelerates its cryptocurrency regulatory system. She emphasised that the clarity of US regulatory policy is triggering a chain reaction in the international market, prompting regulators in different regions to introduce complementary measures in response to industry changes. However, CoinW, a comprehensive crypto-asset trading company, is still on its way to pursuing a compliance license this year. Man Yeung, the Business Development Manager of CoinW, hopes for more transparent and more explicit guidelines to smooth the application procedure. Over the past year, local media have reported cases …
Huawei unveils world’s first tri-fold phone
- 2024-09-11
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG HaicenEdited by: Ji Youn Lee
- 2024-09-11
Chinese tech giant Huawei unveiled the first tri-fold smartphone, priced at 19,999 yuan (HK$22,000), yesterday at a launch ceremony in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen. Pricier than earlier models such as Huawei’s double-fold phone Mate X5, the newly launched Mate XT is more than double the starting price of Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, which was unveiled just hours ahead. Huawei's foldable phone Mate XT allows users to fold it into three sections like an accordion screen door. According to Yu at the launch, prices for the new smartphone start at 19,999 yuan for 256 gigabytes, with higher memory versions available for 21,999 yuan and 23,999 yuan. The phone comes in red and black colours. “The average consumer has limited knowledge of smartphones, let alone the benefits and value of the products,” said Will Wong, a senior researcher at IDC Consulting. “Therefore, they may be put off by its high price.” New products from both Apple and Huawei will be available from 20 September. Jene Park, an analyst at research firm Counterpoint, said the upcoming new Huawei products are not expected to have a major impact on Samsung's and Apple's business in terms of volume. “With a starting price of 20,000 yuan, more than double the starting price of the comparable iPhone 16 Pro Max, and limited production, the tri-fold phone is likely to be more of a symbol of Huawei's tech prowess than a major sales driver,” said Wong. Although Apple has shown strong demand in China as a mobile phone producer, a recent report released by Canalys in the second quarter shows it has fallen out of the top five in terms of sales for the first time in China, dropping from third to sixth place. “Huawei's new product may not have a huge impact on sales …
AI-powered health and wellness tools: Personalising medical care at your fingertips
- 2024-05-11
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jemima BadajosEdited by: Ming Min AW YONG
- 2024-05-11
With an iPad’s front camera, artificial intelligence and sitting still for just 30 seconds, Vitals, an AI-powered app, can tell your vital signs by simply scanning the colour changes in your face. Vitals was developed by Panoptic.AI, a Hong Kong-based healthtech company founded in August 2022. The health and wellness monitoring app can identify up to 15 health indicators, including your breathing rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, which can help track current lifestyle conditions and detect any potential health risks down the line. As the colours in your face are affected by blood flow, signals that only show these changes are tracked, which can also filter out “blind spots” such as beards and tattoos. Next, the signals are sent to the company through the cloud, while any personal identifiable information is kept back on the user’s device. Kyle Wong, CEO and co-founder of the start-up, says the product’s idea stems from their previous projects involving temperature screening and thermal imaging technology in large-scale areas, such as border control points and government facilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s team realised that it was challenging to identify asymptomatic patients who did not show signs of fever or had taken medication that lowers their temperature, said Wong. “We were doing a lot of research about using a camera, trying to find what other features we can measure from the person,” Wong said. “That led to the idea of what we have now, which is by using a regular camera, and we're talking about the camera of your smartphone, your everyday, off-the-shelf device, we're able to measure these biomarkers,” he said. Artificial intelligence is developing in Hong Kong’s health technology industry as it transforms health and well-being services into a personalised and self-manageable tool. The rise of artificial intelligence in digital wellness …
Hong Kong bus companies driving toward carbon neutrality
- 2024-03-25
- Society
- By: YANG Shuyi、WANG Ludan、WANG JingEdited by: KONG Tsz Yuen
- 2024-03-25
Electric buses are appearing on Hong Kong's streets starting in 2022, transforming the city’s image of traffic clogged up with old double deckers that belch out pollution. These buses use environmentally friendly new energy as fuel, which can reduce emissions better than diesel buses. Citybus will put Hong Kong’s first hydrogen bus into road commissioning this month, and it will soon come into the market. “We plan to test the performance of diesel, electric, and hydrogen buses by deploying five buses of each type on the same route in the second half of this year. ” said Lee Ka-ming, Citybus's Head Engineering Manager. “Based on the results, we will decide on the proportion of hydrogen and electric buses in our plans. We prefer to use data comparisons to support our decisions on which buses to choose,"Lee said. At present, there are 21 KMB routes serving the public with electric buses, accounting for about 56 electric buses. “Double-decked electric buses have been in service since 2023, and their performance has been very satisfactory. Since a bus can operate for 18 years, we will continue to monitor its performance and prepare to cope with any possible difficulties,” said Kenny Kan, Head of KMB's corporate communications and public affairs department. “KMB expects to replace diesel buses with fully electric ones by 2040,” he added. According to local think tank, Civic Exchange, Hong Kong's transportation sector accounts for the second largest share of total Greenhouse gas sessions, emitting 18.7%. Commercial vehicles such as buses only account for 20% of the total number of vehicles in Hong Kong but contribute over 90% of nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions, a significant contributor to roadside air pollution. “Compared with diesel buses, new energy buses do not produce harmful emissions, thus directly reducing the use of non-renewable energy such …
AI Photography blurs the Boundaries of Creativity
- 2024-02-17
- Society
- By: KONG Tsz YuenEdited by: charlottelam
- 2024-02-17
The Sony World Photography Awards made waves in March when they unveiled "Pseudomnesia: The Electrician," the winner of the creative open category. However, German artist Boris Eldagsen, who created this thought-provoking piece, gained notoriety for not accepting the prize because his work was created by artificial intelligence. Eldgsen explained on his website that he wanted award organizers to be more aware of the difference between AI-generated images and photography and asked them to create separate competitions for AI-generated work. The Oxford English Dictionary defines photography as the process, practice, or art of taking photographs, the business of producing and printing photographs. As AI algorithms become increasingly adept at generating realistic and high-quality images, they challenge the traditional notion of photography as a human-driven process. Never Chan, 23, a wedding photographer, said the fairness of photography competitions depends on the rules. For example, the rules may indicate that only color correction is permitted, while post-processing is off-limits. She enhances her photographs, for example, by removing unwanted objects from the background. However, she draws a clear line between AI's role in post-processing and its involvement in the actual act of photography. "I'll ask where my clients met and assist them in taking photos there. But if AI can alter the background of a client's photos, they would lose the realism of the shot and the memorable moment of capturing it,” said Chan. In a statement provided to The Young Reporter, Ivan Tsoi, the spokesperson of the Hong Kong Photo Contest, said the contest commits to the principles of Documentary Photography. That is seeing the world as perceived through the photographer's lens rather than through post-production images produced by AI. Tsoi said they go through a rigorous evaluation process for the shortlisted works. To ensure compliance with the competition's rules, each photograph is …