According to news.gov.hk on 13 October 2026, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is rolling out two artificial intelligence (AI) efficacy projects: one to help swimming-pool lifeguards identify swimmers suspected of drowning, and another to speed up analysis of abnormal facility bookings to combat touting. Both sit within the Government’s first batch of AI Efficacy Enhancement Team flagship projects, each with its own proof-of-concept or go-live timetable.
AI drowning detection: overhead cameras, trajectory and position
The AI drowning detection system uses multiple high-definition cameras mounted high above the pool to capture real-time imagery, then applies computer vision and deep-learning algorithms to flag suspected drowning cases. news.gov.hk notes that when a suspected case is detected, the system sounds an alert and displays a warning on screen to help lifeguards respond promptly.
Assistant Director (Leisure Services) Fung Miu-ling said lifeguards continuously monitor the pool while on duty, but crowded conditions or glare on the water can obstruct their view, making it harder to track every swimmer accurately. Some everyday pool behaviour can also look like drowning — for example, older swimmers whose heads slide back during aquatic exercise, or children who hold their breath or dive. To tell normal swimming from drowning, the system does not judge by stroke alone.
Chief Leisure Manager (Water Sports) Choi Yiu-kwok said the system analyses swimmers’ movement trajectories, positions, and whether they keep moving; a swimmer who sinks while swimming is treated as suspicious. The system combines different behavioural patterns and uses AI algorithms to assess whether drowning may be occurring.
Cross-department working group and first PoC sites
LCSD has set up a dedicated working group with the Digital Policy Office and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, drawing on each agency’s expertise to develop a solution suited to local pool environments and swimmer behaviour. The vendor will adjust camera angles and algorithm parameters for each pool; frontline staff will also feed in operational experience so the system works in real conditions and errors are kept to a minimum.
Per news.gov.hk, the first-stage proof-of-concept is expected in the first quarter of 2027 at the main pools of Morse Park Swimming Pool and Ma On Shan Swimming Pool. Subject to results, LCSD aims to extend the system to more public pools over the following years.
The AI Efficacy Enhancement Team’s 17 August 2026 annex lists “AI drowning detection system” as a flagship project, with the same first-stage sites, under the annex’s second half of 2027 launch window. The later news.gov.hk report places the PoC in 2027 Q1; this article records both official statements without further reconciliation.
SmartPLAY: faster detection of abnormal bookings
LCSD is also using AI to accelerate analysis of abnormal logins and unusual bookings on SmartPLAY. The department handles about 27,000 leisure-facility bookings a day; with AI algorithms and big data, it can more quickly and easily identify accounts that use scripts to interfere with the system or grab slots.
Chief Leisure Manager (Smart Booking App) Cheung Yee-mei said there is no off-the-shelf AI model built for a booking service like SmartPLAY. The Government has engaged an AI technology partner to develop the system, which is expected to become operational in 2027.
The annex lists the flagship “combating touting of leisure facility bookings” under the second half of 2026 launch window, noting that AI will speed analysis of abnormal bookings and help routinely identify accounts using computer programs or other automated tools to book facilities or disrupt normal system operation, with the aim of detecting bot activity faster and improving booking fairness for the public. news.gov.hk later states an expected 2027 operational date; both official timelines are reported here as given.
Figure: Left — elevated monitoring and a lifeguard on duty at a public pool; right — booking-counter staff reviewing patterns on a tablet (editorial illustration — no text or logos; not an actual system screen or venue).
Policy backdrop: first flagship batch
The 2025 Policy Address announced the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team, led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, to coordinate and guide departments in applying AI effectively, reorganising workflows, and driving technological renewal. On 17 August 2026 the Government announced that the Team had facilitated and implemented a first batch of 30 efficacy projects across 13 departments, including 10 higher-impact flagships. LCSD’s drowning-detection and anti-touting projects are both among those flagships.
Primary sources:
- news.gov.hk, “LCSD to launch AI drowning prevention system” (Chinese), 2026-10-13, https://www.news.gov.hk/chi/2026/10/20261012/20261012_191815_428.html
- Government press release, “AI Efficacy Enhancement Team announces implementation of 30 efficacy enhancement projects”, 2026-08-17, https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/17/P2026081700318.htm ; annex: https://gia.info.gov.hk/general/202608/17/P2026081700318_554948_1_1786948855718.pdf
