Over 85% of HK consumers use AI but don't trust it

Hong Kong is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) with a unique blend of high excitement and medium anxiety compared to its global peers, according to a recent survey of Ipsos Hong Kong. This dynamic creates a fascinating paradox, as residents rapidly weave these advanced tools into their daily routines while remaining deeply cautious about the implications for their careers, privacy, and societal trust.

This tension is highly visible across different age groups, with 72% of Hongkongers feeling excited about AI, while 53% simultaneously feel nervous about its rise. The wave of excitement is led primarily by millennials, with over 80% feeling positive, followed by 73% of Gen Z and 62% of Gen X.

Far from being a niche interest, AI has quickly become an essential fixture of modern life, with 97% of Hongkongers integrating it into their personal activities and 72% utilising it in their professional lives. Most citizens use AI for everyday utility, including 48% who rely on it for general information, 45% for shopping, and 44% for travel planning. Gen Z is actively expanding the technology's role into personal growth and development, with 57% utilising AI for education and learning, 51% for hobbies and creativity, and 49% for personal advice and self-improvement.

On the professional front, AI has established itself as a powerful but double-edged sword. In Hong Kong, 57% of employees leverage the technology to streamline their day-to-day work, while 35% use it to guide their career paths.

Yet, despite a clear majority of workers reporting that AI makes them feel more productive, nearly half are now actively concerned about their job security, a career tension felt most acutely by Gen Z and Millennials. This professional conflict highlights a broader economic worry, as 79% of Hongkongers believe AI increases their efficiency to get things done, but 48% fear it will worsen the job market, and 30% believe it will ultimately harm the economy.

A particularly striking finding from the survey reveals a massive "say-do" gap in user behaviour, where 85% of users continue to utilise AI tools despite openly admitting they do not fully trust them. This cautious, pragmatic relationship with technology is led by 90% of Gen Z, followed by 84% of Millennials and 81% of Gen X, even though only 34% of the overall population genuinely trusts AI tools.

This high level of active engagement alongside underlying consumer anxiety is especially visible across key business sectors. In the banking and finance industry, over 90% of consumers use AI actively, though 22% express concern over its usage. When utilising financial AI features, 74% do so for daily banking and security, followed by 62% for personalised financial management, 55% for investment and insurance, and 39% for customer support.

In the retail and shopping sector, 87% of consumers use AI actively, with 16% raising concerns about its growing presence. Retail consumers mainly interact with AI through personalised discovery and search at 62%, pricing and post-purchase support at 52%, and experiential and in-store technology at 42%. In the health and wellness space, 71% of Hongkongers use AI for personal wellness and fitness, while 43% use it for healthcare system interactions, and 29% rely on it for advanced diagnostics.

Despite this widespread integration, the human touch remains an incredibly high-value commercial asset that businesses cannot easily automate away. Over 70% of consumers across banking, retail, and wellness refuse to choose a purely AI-driven service, even when offered a financial discount. Furthermore, AI struggles to inspire strong customer delight, as only 8% of Hong Kong consumers strongly agree that a great AI experience makes them choose a company more often, whereas that figure skyrockets to between 20% and 27% when they receive a great human experience.

As Hong Kong looks toward the future, consumers are demanding strict transparency and accountability. An overwhelming 87% of consumers insist that products and services must explicitly label their use of AI, and 36% state that they trust AI answers less if they suspect they are influenced or sponsored by advertisers. Privacy is another crucial battleground, with only 52% of respondents believing that companies using artificial intelligence will adequately protect their personal data. Beyond personal privacy, 43% of Hongkongers also worry that AI will directly increase and worsen the volume of fake news online.

Ultimately, the profound impact of AI on the city is undeniable and set to accelerate. Currently, 80% of Hongkongers admit that AI-enabled products and services have profoundly changed their daily lives over the past three to five years, and an even higher 89% believe these technologies will massively reshape their daily existence in the next five year.

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