AI for NGOs Real-world Experiences and Case Studies
[NGO AI in Practice] The New AI Strategy for Hong Kong NGOs: Securely Upgrade Services with Open-Source Intelligence
Publish Date:2025-06-20
For Hong Kong non-profit organizations (NGOs) looking to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance internal operations or public services...
A Modern Guide to AI Adoption for Hong Kong NGOs
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can effectively help NGOs improve internal operational efficiency and public service quality. This guide aims to explain how to apply AI technology safely, compliantly, and effectively in a simple and understandable way.
Key Considerations for NGOs Using AI
Privacy and Data Protection are Paramount
Strictly adhere to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. When handling sensitive data of members or beneficiaries, never directly input personally identifiable information like ID card numbers into AI platforms to prevent data leakage.
Reviewing AI-Generated Content
AI-generated content may not be 100% accurate and can contain biases. Organizations must establish a dedicated human review mechanism to ensure that published information is correct, to avoid damaging the organization's reputation or misleading the public.
AI System Security and Staff Training
Choose reliable AI systems, set strong passwords, and enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). At the same time, provide cybersecurity training for employees to raise their awareness of attacks like phishing emails.
Provide Transparency and Obtain Consent
Before collecting and using service users' data for AI analysis, you must clearly inform them of the purpose and obtain their explicit consent, while also providing an option to refuse, to protect their right to choose.
Why Use Open-Source AI Large Language Models?
For Hong Kong NGOs with limited resources, commercial AI services are costly and pose privacy risks. Open-source AI models (like DeepSeek, LLaMA, Qwen) are not only free or low-cost, but more importantly, they allow organizations to control their own data, significantly enhancing data security, making them a highly cost-effective choice.
Recommended Open-Source AI Models
DeepSeek
Developed by a Chinese team, its Chinese language processing capabilities are particularly outstanding, with performance comparable to top commercial models, combining high efficiency with low cost.
LLaMA (by Meta)
An efficient and lightweight model launched by Meta, it supports multiple languages and is relatively easy to deploy, making it ideal for organizations with limited hardware resources.
Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen)
Open-sourced by Alibaba, it offers stable performance and can handle multiple languages and complex tasks, suitable for a variety of application scenarios.
Three Major Advantages of Open-Source AI
- Data Sovereignty: You can deploy the model yourself, so data does not need to be uploaded to third parties, eliminating the risk of misuse.
- Save Operational Costs: Avoid high licensing fees and allocate resources to core services.
- Strong Community Support: An active developer community provides continuous technical updates and support.
Simple Steps for NGOs to Adopt AI
- Assess Needs: Analyze which tasks within the organization can be assisted by AI, such as automated report writing, fundraising copy, etc.
- Select Model: Choose a suitable open-source model based on technical capabilities and needs.
- Data Management: Establish a strict data processing workflow in compliance with the Privacy Ordinance.
- Staff Training: Ensure colleagues know how to use AI tools correctly and can review their output.
- Regular Checks: Continuously monitor system security and perform regular updates.
- Maintain Transparency: Clearly explain to the public and service users how AI is being used.
Conclusion: Embrace AI with Confidence to Make a Greater Impact
For Hong Kong NGOs looking to use AI to improve efficiency and service quality, open-source large language models are a cost-effective and secure choice. By ensuring data privacy protection, reviewing content accuracy, strengthening security measures, and training staff, NGOs can confidently use AI to achieve a greater social impact.
【Action Guide】
📞 Call our hotline at +852 3426 2604 to book a system demo
📩 Send "NGO Solutions" to our WhatsApp to get our collection of success stories
Special Offer: The first 20 registered organizations will receive 3 months of free consultation services.
#AIforSocialWork #HKSocialWelfareDigitalTransformation #SmartCaseManagement #MentalHealthTech #NGOInnovationSolutions