Hongkongers have worked hard to turn a small fishing village into a renowned international financial centre. I believe it cannot be easily replaced by other places. And it goes without saying we will safeguard our interests.

Apart from defending ourselves against such mockery, we also have to equip ourselves for change. In fact, these social media taunts should spur us to do better where we have fallen behind.

This is the right approach to show the city is still shining bright and to make sure that we stay at the top.

Jack Chung, Sham Shui Po

Now, time for district councillors to get to work

Take my district, Tseung Kwan O, as an example. Based on personal experience, public clinics and hospitals in the district are overstretched. At the time of writing, the reference waiting time at the A&E department in Tseung Kwan O Hospital was over three hours. I believe this healthcare service bottleneck is a pressing problem and should top the to-do list of our new district councillors.

Jordan C.M. Tam, Tseung Kwan O

AI literacy a must to prepare students for the future

In the rapidly evolving educational landscape, artificial intelligence has emerged as a transformative force, posing both challenges and opportunities to educators worldwide. The annual Learning and Teaching Expo which concluded last week was a source of inspiration about how AI can be harnessed to revolutionise the way we teach and learn.

AI, with its capacity for personalisation, can address learning diversity in ways previously thought impossible. Adaptive learning platforms can tailor content to match a student’s progress, providing support or challenge as needed.

For example, Interleaf, an education technology start-up that took part in the expo, displayed a solution that utilises AI, including large language models and generative AI, to develop customised teaching materials and analyse student performance for more personalised and efficient learning experiences. This individualised approach can help bridge gaps in understanding, ensuring that no student is left behind because of a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

But AI in education is more than just employing AI tools in the classroom. As educators, we must equip our students with digital literacy, which will allow them to navigate, critique and leverage AI in their future endeavours.

As showcased at the expo’s InnoSTEMer zone where students present projects powered by AI and other technologies, Hong Kong’s pupils are picking up AI knowledge.

However, in Hong Kong, AI knowledge remains mostly taught in external programmes and hence not accorded the importance which it deserves.

Of course, AI integration also brings with it a host of concerns. Speaking at the expo, Professor Rose Luckin of UCL Knowledge Lab at University College London cautioned against overreliance that could overshadow human creativity and empathy. Addressing AI’s limitations and ethical challenges, she advocated for a balanced approach to integrating AI into educational settings, emphasising the critical role of educators in guiding responsible AI development and application.

It is important that educators not only integrate AI into their pedagogical practices but also teach their students digital literacy and empower them to become lifelong learners of AI technology.

Meanwhile, educators must stay informed about the latest developments in AI, advocate for ethical practices, and continuously adapt their teaching strategies to harness AI’s full potential.

Marina Watt, doctoral student in education, University of Bristol