Exclusive
Canada revokes dozens of crypto firms’ registrations Canada revokes dozens of crypto firms’ registrations Questions swirl around US plans for record $15B Prince Group crypto seizure Questions swirl around US plans for record $15B Prince Group crypto seizure Donate to ICIJ Donate to ICIJ
Crime

Google’s Gemini AI app debuts in Hong Kong

Tech giant Google has officially introduced a mobile version of its Gemini AI chatbot to Hong Kong users, with the service swiftly topping Apple’s app…

By Samantha Johnson / March 27, 2026

Tech giant Google has officially introduced a mobile version of its Gemini AI chatbot to Hong Kong users, with the service swiftly topping Apple’s app store chart.

The roll-out on Thursday followed Google’s announcement last week that it would gradually introduce its generative AI services to Hong Kong, starting with Gemini web services before launching a mobile version.

The popular AI product was previously unavailable to the general public of Hong Kong, and accessible only to some local businesses, developers, educators and students.

Advertisement

The ban had forced many residents to use virtual private networks or third-party platforms to bypass regional geofencing, as developers such as OpenAI and Anthropic blocked local IP addresses due to regulatory and compliance uncertainties.

Gemini is a multimodal AI tool that allows users to interact through text, images and audio. It features generative capabilities for multimedia content – including images and music tracks – that Google has said will empower creators and students to “easily express their creativity”.

Advertisement

The app was the top downloaded product of Apple’s app store as of Friday morning.

Don't Miss: