Can AI help Hongkongers quit smoking? Health authorities are giving it a go

Hong Kong health authorities have deployed an AI chatbot developed by a local university to help residents quit smoking, after missing their target despite a clampdown on tobacco products. The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office also said on Wednesday that the city’s smoking rate had dropped to 8.5 per cent as of last year, one of the lowest among developed economies. The office unveiled its “Chat to Quit” chatbot pilot initiative as part of its annual “Quit in June” campaign. The drive also...