The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a plan to spend NT$300 billion (US$9.27 billion) in the next 10 years to fund innovations that would combine the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems and chips.
The “Chip-driven Taiwan Industrial Innovation Plan” was briefed to Cabinet members by the National Science and Technology Council and approved at the weekly Cabinet meeting.
“With the rise of generative AI systems, chips have driven the development of global technology industry and have become motivation for businesses seeking innovation,” Cabinet spokesperson Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) cited Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as saying, adding that the development of chips would be the key technology for the “next industrial revolution.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
The council told the Cabinet that the plan is to be enforced through cooperation with officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the National Development Council, Lin said.
The plan also lays out strategies to meet the rising challenges in developing next-generation chip technology, Lin said.
The government is to allocate a total of NT$300 billion from next year to 2033 to develop chip technology, with NT$12 billion budgeted for next year, Lin said.
The council at a news conference after the meeting said that the plan would ensure that Taiwan controls key technologies to design advanced chips, and enhances its design capabilities for such chips and accelerates heterogeneous integration of chip designs and interfaces.
The funding would be used to speed up the production of non-silicon-based wafers, as well as the development of chips smaller than 1 nanometer, 3D chip stacking technology and heterogeneous integrated packaging, the council said.
The funding would also be used to develop energy-saving applications with high computing power and frequency, it said.
“For next year’s budget plan, about NT$8 billion would be used to train and attract talent, while NT$4 billion would be used to attract overseas investment in projects combining the use of generative AI systems and chips,” National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said.
Separately, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior have stepped up their intelligence-gathering efforts to investigate any potential interference in the presidential and legislative elections in January through underground gambling and dissemination of fake news, Lin said.
The announcement was made after the Criminal Investigation Bureau on Wednesday raided a gambling operation in Changhua County operated by two Taiwanese brothers, who solicited funds over Facebook to bet on the presidential election.
Meanwhile, people who were allegedly affiliated with independent presidential hopeful Terry Gou (郭台銘) have been questioned by prosecutors on suspicion of purchasing personal information to use in Gou’s signature drive to appear on the presidential ballot.
“Police and prosecutors are scrutinizing vote-buying incidents reported nationwide. We are respecting investigations at the judicial system and do not have comments on any specific case,” Lin said.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
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At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
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