TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Tainan City on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement with Asus to build Taiwan’s first smart city, CNA reported.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said students have begun to use AI tools in class and that teachers now push them to try out new tech. Huang said the shift shows how the city is catching up with global trends.

AI already helps the city cut down on repeated work and speeds up hotline services, the city's mayor noted. Huang added that more tools will be added so workers can deal with big data.

The city said it will open more public data to help firms test AI tools and assist local factories in moving from automation to smart production. It added the project will also train more local talent, per Tainan City Government.

Asus will lead a robot tech group that includes the Industrial Technology Research Institute and more than 80 partners. Officials said Tainan plans to set up a robot hub in Liouying District and link it with AMD’s new base in Shalun.

The city said AMD’s move to Tainan will draw in more tech firms and help build out a strong AI cluster. It added the city wants to turn advanced computing into services that people can feel in daily life.

AMD is a US chip designer known for making computer processors and graphics units. On Nov. 26, it set up a research hub in Tainan to tap local talent and deepen ties with Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain.