Lai Ching-te unveils new AI blueprint with ten projects and talent cultivation

President Lai Ching-te received the visiting delegation of Taiwanese compatriots from the Asian region today, elaborating on the government's latest artificial intelligence development blueprint during the meeting. Since last year, the Executive Yuan has established the AI Development Committee to coordinate national AI resources and policies, and officially released the "Ten New AI Constructions" plan this year, covering key fields such as smart manufacturing, healthcare, education and training, and public services. President Lai pointed out that these ten constructions are not only directions for technological upgrading, but also the core of enhancing national competitiveness. He expressed hope that through institutionalized promotion, AI technology will take deep root across various industries, forming a cross-domain innovation ecosystem.

Regarding talent cultivation, the government has set a target of training at least 500,000 AI application talents by 2040. To achieve this number, the Ministry of Education has integrated AI courses into mandatory curricula for high schools and universities, and collaborated with the industry to establish internship bases, encouraging students to engage in real-world projects while still in school. In addition, the Ministry of Labor has also launched retraining subsidies to assist incumbent employees in transitioning to learn skills such as machine learning and data analysis, ensuring that the existing workforce can keep pace with the digital wave. These measures demonstrate that the government is focused not only on future talent supply, but also on the urgent demands of current industrial upgrading.

Addressing the transformation of small, medium, and micro enterprises, President Lai emphasized that dedicated resources will be invested to help them accelerate the adoption of AI applications. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has launched the "AI Value-Adding Subsidy Program," providing support such as technical consultants, equipment upgrades, and data platform establishment to lower the barrier to entry for businesses. Over the past many years, Taiwan's small and medium-sized enterprises have played an important role in the global supply chain, but facing the challenges of automation and intelligentization, this subsidy aims to improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and open up new markets. If successfully promoted, it is expected to raise the overall industrial added value and strengthen Taiwan's resilience in international competition.

From an international perspective, AI has become a strategic asset contested by various nations. The United States, the European Union, and Japan have successively announced large-scale AI investment plans, and neighboring Asian countries are also accelerating deployments in areas such as smart cities and autonomous driving. The "Artificial Intelligence Island" vision proposed by President Lai aims to forge Taiwan into a hub for AI innovation and application within the region, leveraging the existing advantages of the local semiconductor and information industries combined with emerging AI technologies to form a positive cycle of industrial upgrading. If realized on schedule, Taiwan will not only be a critical node in the hardware supply chain, but will also achieve leadership in software and services.

Finally, President Lai called upon Taiwanese compatriots at home and abroad to join hands with local enterprises and academic units to jointly participate in the implementation of the Ten New AI Constructions. Through the tripartite collaborative efforts of the government, industry, and the private sector, it is anticipated that within the next twenty years, Taiwan will not only cultivate a massive pool of AI talent, but also enable small and medium-sized enterprises to complete digital transformation, ultimately becoming a true "Artificial Intelligence Island." This initiative concerns not only economic growth, but also the long-term planning of national security and social welfare. (Source of facts: Central News Agency)