The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission plans to issue guidance to assist institutions in implementing AI agent regulatory principles and will also shorten license processing times.

Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission Chief Executive Officer Nancy Chan stated that artificial intelligence (AI) and RMB internationalization are the “twin engines” driving economic growth and serve as key forces propelling Hong Kong’s financial markets into the next phase of development. Hong Kong should unlock AI’s potential through responsible innovation and strengthen AI governance. As generative AI rapidly evolves into agentic AI, regulators should further front-load human accountability into system design. The HK SFC is considering issuing additional guidance to assist institutions in implementing existing regulatory principles within agentic AI systems. This is not intended to prescribe technical design details, but rather to clarify the regulatory outcomes the SFC expects to achieve: clearly delineating responsibilities and ensuring effective human oversight; establishing controlled access permissions and defined usage scopes; conducting rigorous testing prior to deployment followed by continuous monitoring; ensuring operational resilience; and promptly reporting issues and taking corrective measures when problems arise. Additionally, the HK SFC will continue its digital transformation efforts, including shortening licensing processing times and enabling earlier detection of misconduct and fraudulent activities.