TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan seeks to become a leader in AI applications, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said at a university forum on Sunday (Nov. 24).

Hsiao highlighted the government’s efforts in advancing AI, including fostering an AI cabinet and promoting industrial AI adoption in various sectors, such as ecology and healthcare.

Hsiao said Taiwan's semiconductor industry has solidified itself as a key player in global AI development, per the Presidential Office.

Hsiao urged more AI-related initiatives, which require collaboration between universities and across different industries and generations. She hoped for synchronized progress between the government and industry. While industries navigate digital and net-zero transitions, the inevitable transitional challenges demand government support, including resources, regulatory frameworks, and global connections, she said.

The vice president believed AI would unlock more opportunities for Taiwan and pledged to continue working with all sectors.

Hsiao’s comments come as Taiwan plans to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities by investing approximately US$3 billion (NT$97.75 billion) in AI data centers and other projects over the next three years, according to Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文). The minister recently said Taiwan aims to raise its collective capability from 20 petaflops this year to 480 petaflops over the next four years.

Petaflops are a unit of measurement for a computer's calculating speed.

On Friday, construction of two new buildings began at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Tainan Campus. The buildings will be used for AI development, AI industrialization, and public-private technology collaborations.