HSBC to grow Hong Kong AI team to 300, triple the size of planned Singapore hub

The expansion follows the bank’s announcement of a 100-strong Global AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore, set to launch in the second half of 2026.

HSBC is set to double its artificial intelligence (AI) specialist workforce in Hong Kong from 150 to 300 over the next two to three years, reinforcing the city's role as a core market for the bank's AI investment.

David Liao Yi-chien, Co-Chief Executive, HSBC Asia and Middle East, was quoted by local media as announcing the expansion at a media briefing following an industry event hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).

The bank also plans to set up a global AI research institute in Hong Kong in 2027, according to reports.

The move follows HSBC's announcement in July of plans to establish a Global AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Singapore, which is expected to launch in the second half of 2026 and hire more than 100 AI specialists.

Liao reaffirmed Hong Kong's importance to the bank's AI ambitions, describing the city as HSBC's home market and saying the bank would use Hong Kong as a hub to develop digital finance and embrace emerging technologies to better serve customers.

Responding to reports that the HKMA had questioned HSBC over its decision to establish the AI centre in Singapore, Liao reportedly said the bank would continue investing in AI across different markets including Mainland China, the UK, and the Middle East, while Hong Kong would remain at the core of its AI investments.

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