AI technology drives advancements in robotics, smart manufacturing, and regional economies

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving significant shifts across hardware, manufacturing, and regional economies. In the sensor industry, the emergence of ‘AI radar’—which uses models to define functions rather than fixed algorithms—is enabling more sophisticated perception for robotics and autonomous systems.

In Hong Kong, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted that AI is becoming a major economic driver. The city has seen high double-digit export growth driven by demand for AI-related products, and AI-related IPOs accounted for approximately 55% of total new stock listings between December and May. The government is also implementing AI to improve public services, such as automating vehicle license renewals and regulating traffic lights.

Industrial sectors are also evolving through ‘Physical AI.’ Companies are integrating AI into smart manufacturing via machine vision and high-speed data transmission to facilitate human-robot collaboration. Meanwhile, the consumer market is seeing a shift in smart eyewear, moving from simple tools to ‘cognitive partners’ that utilize AI for continuous memory and context awareness. However, industry experts note that while humanoid robots show promise, challenges in stability, battery life, and learning efficiency remain significant hurdles to widespread commercial deployment.