Premier sets Taiwan’s sovereign AI strategy
行政院長制定臺灣自主人工智慧策略
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday set Taiwan’s sovereign AI direction, anchoring development in domestic data and democratic values while prioritizing applications in education, healthcare, finance, and justice, according to a Cabinet press release.
Cho chaired the inaugural meeting of the Cabinet-level National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee, established under the Artificial Intelligence Basic Act. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) serves as deputy convener, while Minister without Portfolio and National Science and Technology Council head Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) serves as executive secretary, CNA reported. Cho issued appointment certificates, reviewed a draft national AI development framework, and approved plans to appoint chief data officers across ministries while defining priority application sectors. Cho said Taiwan aims to evolve from a manufacturing-driven supporter of innovation into a model for beneficial AI grounded in freedom and democracy. He emphasized a secure, trustworthy, and responsible ecosystem built on domestic datasets. He outlined seven guiding principles for responsible AI: sustainability and well-being, human autonomy, privacy and data governance, cybersecurity and safety, transparency and explainability, fairness and non-discrimination, and accountability. The premier designated education, healthcare, finance, and justice as initial demonstration fields. He added that ministries should gradually expand AI use into a broader “smart living” ecosystem for the public. The AI Basic Act, enacted in January, requires agencies to complete regulatory adjustments within two years, while the Ministry of Digital Affairs will develop an AI risk classification framework and coordinate risk audits across sectors. Priority areas will include sectors affecting fundamental rights, such as education and employment. Cho instructed the National Science and Technology Council to revise the draft national AI framework based on committee feedback before submitting it for Cabinet approval and implementation. He also called on the Ministry of Digital Affairs to help government agencies conduct AI risk assessments, establish internal controls, and guide industries in drafting sector-specific AI governance rules. Drawing on the model of sustainability officers, Cho said ministries should introduce chief data officers and prioritize expanding open government data, data sharing, and AI training datasets this year, while continuing interagency coordination through an existing digital policy task force. He emphasized that data governance must balance innovation with protections under the Personal Data Protection Act and Copyright Act. Safeguards should cover data collection, model training, and deployment while reinforcing Taiwan’s democratic values and cultural diversity. |
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| Peter Liang Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2026-06-24 |
