Anti-drug video fiasco not a vote of confidence in Hong Kong’s AI goals

AdvertisementHong Kong politicsOpinionHong Kong OpinionOpinionAlice WuAnti-drug video fiasco not a vote of confidence in Hong Kong’s AI goalsIf the authorities can’t use the technology appropriately for one video, one wonders how they can address other concerns posed by artificial intelligence3-MIN READ3-MINAlice WuAlice Wu is a political consultant and a former associate director of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLA. Published: 5:30am, 6 Jul 2026It’s unfortunate for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu that his speech on July 1 marking the 29th anniversary of the handover and highlighting his government’s achievements may have been overshadowed by the outcry over an anti-drug video – or at least what was intended as one.The Correctional Services Department released the video, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), on June 26 before having to pull it twice, ahead of the anniversary.

The video – featuring an appealing K-pop girl band dancing and at certain points singing the praises of the effects of narcotics – received a great deal of attention, with international news coverage and a slew of memes, sticker packs, fan pages, song parodies and selfies.This level of public engagement generated by a government department is rare. But what went viral is the story of an anti-drug message gone wrong and at this point it’s safe to say that the intended message has been lost.

Thanks to a colossal display of ignorance, incompetence and overzealous use of AI, the video has become an international facepalm sensation.Someone decided it was a good idea to personify cocaine, crystal meth, cannabis and etomidate as K-pop singers. Someone didn’t seem to realise they were making these drugs look appealing, so much so that social media users had to point this out to the Correctional Services Department.

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