HKGAI-V1: Towards Regional Sovereign Large Language Model for Hong Kong

TL;DR

This paper introduces HKGAI-V1, a region-specific large language model for Hong Kong, designed to handle local languages, cultural norms, and legal standards, with an emphasis on AI safety and governance.

Contribution

The paper presents the development of HKGAI-V1, a sovereign LLM tailored for Hong Kong's multilingual and socio-legal context, with a novel alignment and safety framework.

Findings

HKGAI-V1 outperforms general models on local queries.

The model demonstrates effective handling of culturally sensitive topics.

The proprietary Adversarial HK Value Benchmark assesses alignment with local standards.

Abstract

This paper presents the development of HKGAI-V1, a foundational sovereign large language model (LLM), developed as part of an initiative to establish value-aligned AI infrastructure specifically tailored for Hong Kong. Addressing the region's unique multilingual environment (Cantonese, Mandarin, and English), its distinct socio-legal context under the "one country, two systems" framework, and specific local cultural and value considerations, the model is built upon the DeepSeek architecture and systematically aligned with regional norms through a multifaceted full parameter fine-tuning process. It is further integrated with a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system to ensure timely and factually grounded information access. The core contribution lies in the design and implementation of a comprehensive, region-specific AI alignment and safety framework, demonstrated through two key achievements: 1) The successful development of HKGAI-V1 itself - which outper-forms general-purpose models in handling Hong Kong-specific culturally sensitive queries, and embodies a "governance-embedded" approach to digital sovereignty - empowers Hong Kong to exercise control over AI applications in critical sectors including public services, legal systems, and edu-cation. 2) The development of the proprietary Adversarial HK Value Benchmark, a rigorous tool for evaluating model alignment with local ethical and legal stand-ards under challenging conditions. By documenting these achievements, the paper provides not only a technological artifact but also a replicable blueprint for developing advanced, regionally focused AI systems deeply rooted in their local identities.