Press Release

Octopus Selected for HKMA’s GenA.I. Sandbox++ to Pilot Agentic Commerce and AI Customer Service

(Hong Kong, 27 August 2026) – Octopus Cards Limited (“Octopus”) has been selected to participate in the Generative Artificial Intelligence (“GenA.I.”) Sandbox++ initiative, jointly launched by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (“HKMA”), the Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”), the Insurance Authority (“IA”) and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (“MPFA”), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited.

Through the initiative, Octopus will explore responsible AI applications in a risk-controlled environment, with safeguards for customer protection, data security, human oversight and regulatory compliance, while generating practical learnings for real-life payment and service scenarios.

Our pilots will focus on agentic commerce and AI-enabled customer service, examining how AI can support selected customer journeys while preserving customer control, human oversight and appropriate operational safeguards. These include:

• Supporting customers in discovering services, preparing payment requests and completing selected payment journeys only in accordance with customer-approved instructions and applicable controls; and
• Enhancing customer service through handling customer enquiries with GenA.I-powered chatbots and GenA.I.-supported human customer service agents.

Tim Ying, Chief Executive Officer of Octopus, said: “With more than 35 million Octopus cards and products in circulation and over 190 000 acceptance points across Hong Kong, Octopus is well positioned to generate practical insights into how AI can deliver meaningful value to customers, making everyday payment and service journeys safer, more intuitive and customer-centric. We look forward to supporting Hong Kong’s development as a smarter, more connected city and a leading international financial centre.

 

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