Microsoft Corp yesterday announced the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D) center in Taiwan, and the company’s aim of hiring and training more than 200 researchers and developers in the next five years to boost the nation’s AI industry.
The Microsoft AI R&D Center is the first foreign-business-backed center to focus on AI technology in the nation.
“Microsoft would like to contribute to Taiwan’s industry upgrade. We will do our best to help Taiwan acquire a strategic position in the global AI landscape,” Microsoft Taiwan general manager Ken Sun (孫基康) told a news conference at the US company’s office in Taipei.
Photo: CNA
Sun said the reason Microsoft chose to build the center in Taiwan is because the nation’s education system has cultivated a lot of talent in mathematics, engineering and the sciences.
Taiwan’s leading position and capability in the global manufacturing industry, as well as the government’s support, prompted Microsoft to launch the project here, he said.
“The government really appreciates Microsoft’s help in developing Taiwan’s AI industry. The government will give full support to Microsoft’s project here,” Premier William Lai (賴清德) said at the news conference.
Sun said the company is to invest NT$1 billion (US$33.78 million) and foster 100 people in the R&D team in the first two years.
The center’s capacity would continue to grow and Microsoft aims to recruit 200 people within five years, he added.
Microsoft Taiwan marketing and operating head Jason Tsao (趙質忠) said the company is to start a campus recruitment tour between March and April.
Tsao said the R&D center is also to develop industry-specific applications, focusing mainly on the AI-augmented keyboard application SwiftKey, Audience Intent Recognition and sharing some of Microsoft’s AI technology with Taiwanese firms.
Tsao said by collaborating with firms in the manufacturing sector, Microsoft would be able to understand the application needs of those companies, and help them to transform and restructure with AI.
Microsoft said the R&D center would complement the Microsoft IoT Innovation Center to accelerate innovation in Taiwanese industries.
The Microsoft AI R&D Center represents the firm’s latest efforts regarding AI projects in Taiwan.
In September last year it launched the “AI Talent Cultivation Project” with Taipei Medical University. It also inked an “AI Strategic Alliance” letter of intent with the National Applied Research Laboratories last month.
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
SHOW OF SUPPORT: Taiwan has been one of the largest buyers of US defense equipment, supporting American businesses and jobs, US lawmakers said Taiwan has been paying for its own defense, a US Department of State official said on Wednesday, adding that purchases of military equipment are important to the US economy and for ensuring regional security. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked at a news conference about comments by former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s US presidential election, who said during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay Washington for its defense needs. “The purchases that they [Taiwan] have made not only are important, we believe, to regional security, but are important to the United States economy,”
END OF SESSION: Other changes that passed involved the removal of restrictions on group tours to China and raising the sentence for people found guilty of child abuse Legislators yesterday passed the third reading of amendments to Article 49 of the Electricity Act (電業法), which stipulate that at least half of the electricity price evaluation committee should be made up of civilian representatives, and a resolution to invite President William Lai (賴清德) to present a state of the nation address at the Legislative Yuan. They also passed a motion proposed by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that the government remove restrictions on group tours to China. On the last day of this year’s first legislative session, the legislators attempted to deal with dozens of bills