The true “oil” in the AI era is data, according to Chien Li-Feng, the former General Manager of Google Taiwan. Taiwan’s challenge lies in its heavy reliance on the semiconductor industry, and Chien believes that the key is to explore how to utilize the advantages of semiconductors in AI applications. He emphasizes the importance of creating a unique AI application model for Taiwan, rather than inventing new tools. Chien points out that despite Taiwan’s high production of GPUs, the country’s usage of GPUs is relatively low. He also highlights the danger of Taiwan’s heavy dependence on a single industry, comparing the market value of TSMC to Taiwan’s GDP. Chien urges Taiwan to think about its next steps in the industry cycle.
Chien further explains that in the past financial crisis, the United States printed money and created a “China,” whereas in the current era, the financial crisis has resulted in the emergence of seven data companies, which collectively have a market value equivalent to China. This data illustrates the future development of AI, according to Chien. He believes that in the AI era, data is the true “oil,” while semiconductors are merely the process. Thus, it is crucial to figure out how to integrate semiconductors with data.
Regarding Taiwan’s ranking in the AI era, Chien mentions that Taiwan is ahead of China. He attributes this to China’s vulnerability in the field of generative AI, where the operation is based on a “question and answer” system. It is easy to block a web page in the internet era, but if keywords like “Winnie the Pooh” need to be blocked in AI operations, it will affect the system’s functionality. Chien explains that China’s excessive intervention in selecting successful companies restricts the development of AI in the country. He believes that “openness” is crucial for AI.
Chien acknowledges that Taiwan’s application and innovation capabilities are relatively low in the field of AI, as indicated in Bloomberg’s report. However, he considers Taiwan fortunate to have a foundation in semiconductors. He emphasizes that innovation and application will be vital for Taiwan’s future development in the AI era.
In terms of collaboration between the public and private sectors, the National Science Council, the Ministry of Digital Development, and National Taiwan University are actively seeking AI opportunities in Taiwan. The Ministry of Digital Development plans to focus on applying generative AI in the machinery manufacturing industry and gradually promote its application and popularization. They have four strategies to strengthen the promotion and development of generative AI in Taiwan: cultivating talent, industry application and diffusion, developing AI application platforms and tools, and collaborating with international companies.
National Taiwan University’s Smart Living Technology Center aims to accelerate the practical application of generative AI through innovation and entrepreneurship competitions. They hope to involve participants from high school students to professionals in generating new AI applications and ideas. The center believes that unity is essential in achieving success in the AI field.
The National Science Council also emphasizes its commitment to the latest trends in AI technology. They have implemented the Taiwan AI Action Plan over four years, cultivating over 33,000 AI professionals and achieving a 48.7% deployment of AI in enterprises. With the “GenAI Taiwan Plan” and the “Early Adoption of Generative AI in Various Industries Program,” they aim to leverage government resources and foster collaboration between academia, industry, and the private sector to promote the adoption of generative AI in various industries.
In terms of industry perspectives, Chien-Zhi Han, CEO and Co-founder of Appier, mentions that AI can optimize various aspects of marketing. By using AI, marketers can efficiently reach their target audience and generate content that appeals to them. AI can assist in marketing decision-making, help create marketing plans, simplify testing and communication costs, interpret marketing data, and standardize marketing analysis reports.
Yeh Jia-Shun, Associate Manager of MediaTek’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering, introduces the Generative AI Service Framework (GAISF), which acts as a generator for enterprise generative AI. GAISF aims to improve company operations and enhance productivity. Yeh emphasizes three important principles for enterprises: establishing information security regulations to address the sensitive nature of AI applications, digitalizing experience and know-how to ensure continuous learning and knowledge transfer, and enabling the expansion of models by incorporating more information and keeping up with AI model updates. MediaTek has collaborated with Microsoft to develop an AI assistant platform called “DaVinci,” which meets these principles. The platform helps integrate various systems within the company, reduces the time spent reading technical documents, and provides each employee with their AI assistant to assist with tasks such as scheduling meetings and sending emails.
Overall, the forum highlighted the importance of data in the AI era and the need for Taiwan to innovate and apply AI in various industries. Collaboration between the public and private sectors, talent cultivation, and the development of AI application platforms were identified as crucial factors for Taiwan’s success in the AI field.