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In his inaugural address, Taiwan’s recently elected president, Lai Ching-te, has called for the country to transform into an “AI island.”
“As we meet the global challenges of adopting more and more smart technologies, we in Taiwan, a ‘silicon island,’ must do all we can to expedite Taiwan’s transformation into an ‘AI island,” Ching-te said on Monday (May 20).
Lai Ching-te, who also goes by William Lai, is a 64-year-old doctor who has now been officially sworn in as the president of Taiwan following his win in the January election. He has been critical of China (which claims the islands as their own) many times in the past.
“We must adapt AI for industry and step up the pace of AI innovation and applications. We must also adapt industry for AI and use AI’s computational power to make our nation, our military, our workforce, and our economy stronger.”
On Monday (20 May) the new president stood in the plaza ahead of the Presidential Office Building to deliver his speech titled ‘Building a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous new Taiwan.’
Alongside artificial intelligence being a major highlight, other aspects like democracy, global peace, and, inevitably, China were all touched on.
China has made it clear it disapproves of both the president and vice-president, Hsiao Bi-khim and has even been dubbed a “troublemaker” by Chinese Communist Party officials.
The new president spoke to China directly: “I also want to call on China to cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war.”
Hopes for global prosperity from Taiwan
The doctor-turned-politician continued to expand on driving the country forward to become a force for global prosperity.
“As we look toward our future, we know that semiconductors will be indispensable. And the AI wave has already swept in. Taiwan has already mastered advanced semiconductor manufacturing, and we stand at the center of the AI revolution…
“We must walk on the right path, and our industries must make every effort, so that we may be a force for global prosperity. With every step forward that Taiwan takes, the world takes a step forward with us.”
Taiwan is already a global force in the semiconductor industry. Its flagship company TSMC produces an estimated 90% of the world’s super-advanced semiconductor chips.
Featured Image: Photo by Thomas Tucker on Unsplash
