- Taiwan unveils Ten Major AI Projects targeting $510B economic value by 2040 and 500,000 new jobs.
- Focus areas include silicon photonics, quantum tech, and AI robotics, backed by industry leaders such as TSMC and Foxconn.
- Plan includes AI, research labs, and $3B+ in AI-focused VC funding to become a global AI hub.
Taiwan intends to initiate its "Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects" initiative, with the goal of producing over T$15 trillion ($510 billion) in economic value by 2040 as it seeks to establish itself as a worldwide leader in artificial intelligence.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that Taiwan intends to utilize its information and communications technology (ICT) industry and top-tier semiconductor manufacturing abilities to establish itself as a global AI influencer and a "smart technology island."
As part of the initiative, Taiwan has recognized three essential technologies as key priorities: silicon photonics, quantum technology, and AI robotics. Silicon photonics is a field that Taiwan's TSMC, the biggest contract chip manufacturer globally, and numerous other companies in the sector are vigorously advancing.
The government intends to establish Taiwan as an international leader in silicon photonics by aligning the industry with upcoming AI development requirements. Taiwan aims to establish itself as a major center for AI robotics by leveraging its hardware and ICT supply chains.
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Industry associations, including one headed by Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, have endorsed the initiative by establishing the Taiwan AI Robotics Industry Grand Alliance on Tuesday to promote the domestic advancement of AI robotics and associated ecosystems. Taiwan is set to create a quantum technology industrial chain.
The 10 initiatives also encompass the creation of AI - the capability to develop and manage local AI technologies – as well as computing frameworks, attempts to distribute AI development evenly across various areas of the island, and the implementation of AI in numerous sectors.
The government urges an increase in AI innovation investment, targeting over T$100 billion ($3.08 billion) in venture capital funding, to establish itself as a global center for AI talent and investment. The project aims to generate 500,000 jobs and set up three research laboratories of international standards. Reuters