The Tencent Charity Foundation (“Tencent Foundation”) and the Hong Kong Social Welfare Sector Heart to Heart Joint Action have launched a new initiative to help social service organizations in Hong Kong put AI to practical use, with training and tools designed around the everyday needs of frontline workers.
Launched on September 9 as part of the 2026 Hong Kong 99 Giving Day, the initiative combines AI tools, training and hands-on applications developed with local NGOs. The aim is straightforward: reduce time spent on repetitive administrative work so social workers can focus more on supporting people and communities.
A new online course, developed by the Tencent Cloud Training and Certification Center and Tencent Foundation for Hong Kong NGOs, uses WorkBuddy, an AI-powered workspace, to introduce practical applications including data processing, document preparation and funding applications. The course draws on real working scenarios identified through visits to local NGOs and includes Cantonese tutorials and interactive exercises. It also covers data security and provides tools for removing sensitive information before data is processed.
Several NGOs are already exploring how AI can address time-consuming tasks.
At New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, staff responsible for residential services are using WorkBuddy to help prepare monthly duty rosters. The process involves navigating regulatory staffing requirements, leave arrangements and working hours. With AI generating a first draft for staff to review, the time needed to prepare a roster has been reduced from around half a day to about 45 minutes. The entire process can be carried out locally, without uploading residents’ information to the cloud.
Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association has applied AI to another labor-intensive task: consolidating volunteer-hour records for around 1,700 volunteers. Records come in multiple formats, including handwritten forms. After sensitive information is removed, AI can help recognize and consolidate the records according to predefined rules, reducing manual checking.
Lok Sin Tong, meanwhile, demonstrated how a frontline worker with no IT background used WorkBuddy to help plan a community activity, producing schedules, notices and an event-planning checklist.
“For the social welfare sector, the greatest value of AI is not about doing more work, but giving frontline workers more time to focus on people,” said Mr. Li Tsz Shu, James, Tencent’s Vice President of Public Affairs.
Tencent Foundation plans to continue working with Hong Kong social service organizations to develop and share practical AI use cases across the sector.
