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 noted on Wednesday that the city’s smoking rate had dropped to 8.5 per cent 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 offers free nicotine patches and “ear seeds”, a needle-free type of acupressure in traditional Chinese medicine, for smokers in need.

Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, Office head Dr Manny Lam Man-chung said authorities were taking a multipronged strategy to make tobacco products less appealing and ensure services for quitting smoking were more accessible.

“We are thinking outside the box, deploying Chinese medicine and AI to cater to the needs of different smokers, such as those who work long hours and cannot attend the [clinics] on their own,” he said.

“Now, they can use the AI chatbot, which is available around the clock.”