HKUST Builds AI Agent for Autism Screening and Family Support
What happened
On November 11, 2026, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) introduced ASD Super Agent, an AI-based platform designed for autism risk screening and support for families. The system uses home videos and questionnaires to assess a child's risk of autism and provides personalized intervention guidance. It achieved a preliminary accuracy score of 0.92 in distinguishing autism risk. HKUST plans further clinical validation before making the system widely available.
Key details
- ASD Super Agent achieved an area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.92 in initial testing.
- The platform uses home videos, standardized questionnaires, and developmental information for risk assessment.
- The system supports voice interactions in Cantonese, Putonghua, and English.
- A multimodal autism database with over 1.1 million video, posture, and behavioral records underpins the platform.
- The project is led by Professor Kani Chen from HKUST.
Why it matters
Families of children with suspected autism may gain earlier access to risk screening and tailored support, potentially reducing delays in professional evaluation and intervention. Healthcare and education professionals in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and Beijing could use the platform to supplement their work and contribute their own intervention methods. The planned clinical validation will determine when and how widely the tool can be used in real-world settings.