Hong Kong mulls AI facial recognition-enabled drones to police smoking ban at construction sites, 39 fines issued so far

Authorities have issued 39 fines since a smoking ban at construction sites came into effect last month, with the Labour Department saying it is looking into equipping drones with facial recognition tools to better enforce the new law.

Construction workers in Hong Kong. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Wan Chi-ping, the Labour Department’s assistant commissioner of occupational safety, said authorities have inspected nearly 1,400 construction sites since the smoking ban was introduced in mid-July.

Local media reported on Wednesday that a total of 39 fines had been issued, and authorities had also handed out 11 “improvement notices” at construction sites where anti-smoking measures were not up to standard.

Wan said the department has been using drones with cameras that have infrared sensors to help identify smoking on construction sites. The drones work by detecting higher temperatures to pinpoint potential instances of smoking, he added.

“We can adjust the thermal sensitivity threshold to 60 to 80°C, which is typically the temperature range for smoking. If a temperature of this range [is detected], a red dot will appear on the monitor,” Wan said in Cantonese.

But he added that none of the fines issued so far resulted from drone detection.

AI facial recognition-enabled drones

Wan said authorities are also looking into integrating artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition tools into the drones. Research into adding such tools may take nine months to a year, he said.

Hong Kong police officers demonstrate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to journalists on May 19, 2025. Photo: Hong Kong Police Force, via Facebook.

The smoking ban is among a number of measures that the government proposed in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire last November, which killed 168 people and displaced thousands in one of the worst blazes in Hong Kong history.

Authorities previously said that the blaze was most likely caused by smoking, citing the findings of a cross-departmental investigation.

The new rule designates all types of construction sites – including those for building repair, maintenance or renovation – as no smoking areas. Offenders face a fixed fine of HK$3,000.

Contractors responsible for construction works are required to ensure that no one smokes on their sites, with those failing to do so facing a maximum fine of HK$400,000.