April 1, 2026
Hong Kong – Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s first artificial intelligence-themed community living room opened in Mong Kok, Yau Tsim Mong on Monday, bringing together AI learning applications, smart health and interactive facilities under one roof alongside a range of daily living amenities.
The 12th such space in the city, the 490sqm venue is the second largest and the first to operate on a five-year term, away from the standard three-year arrangement for similar initiatives. Among other things, it has a “pioneering objective” to give Hong Kong’s underprivileged communities a first-hand look at how technology is driving social development, partners involved in the initiative said at the launch ceremony.
Also read: A community living with AI learning
This project is the result of a tripartite collaboration between government, the private sector, and grassroots communities. It is run by New Home Association and benefits from venue sponsorship from Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd and Hong Kong Friendship Association Chairman Cheng Cheung-ling. Its operating costs are met by the government-supported Community Care Fund.
Residents play Chinese chess with an AI robot during the opening ceremony of the Mong Kok Community Living Room held at Win Century Center in Mong Kok on March 30, 2026. Photo: CHINA DAILY
The space is expected to serve around 500 households and welcome 80,000 visitors a year, Deputy Chief Executive Secretary Warner Cheuk Win Hing said at the event.
In his remarks, Cheuk praised the community living space as “practical,” “fulfilling,” and “hands-on,” noting its expansive functional areas (notably a prayer room and a separate Muslim meal preparation kitchen, the first of its kind among community living rooms in the city) and diverse services, including an AI educational program for children.
He said the government would also support the facilities by providing food and daily necessities to ease the financial burden on underprivileged families.
Mr Cheuk pointed out that Yau Tsim Mong area has the highest concentration of condominiums in Hong Kong, where families have to endure long periods of cramped living.
Cheuk said the SAR government has long attached importance to the welfare of grassroots residents and actively promotes initiatives to provide them with resources, citing community living rooms as a prime example.
“This space aims to provide disadvantaged families with a comfortable place to do household chores, rest and connect, allowing them to feel the warmth of home and a sense of community care,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Mr Chen, who is one of the project’s venue sponsors, said he was happy to see a variety of advanced learning tools such as computers and programming software being provided in the living rooms of the community, and hoped that through this project, “everyone in Hong Kong can embrace advanced technology.”
Mr. Chen pledged to continue his support next year, with plans to support another community living room specifically designed for children with themes of other cutting-edge fields such as aerospace, aviation, and chip manufacturing.
