The Ministry of Digital Affairs plans to establish a production system and center to evaluate and test artificial intelligence (AI) by the end of this year or early next year, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Lee Huai-jen (李懷仁) said yesterday.
Lee made the remarks at the opening ceremony of DevDays Asia, an annual technology forum jointly organized by Microsoft and the ministry’s Administration for Digital Industries.
The National Science and Technology Council is also to evaluate and test the Trustworthy AI Dialog Engine, he said, adding that the government’s efforts are expected to help industries develop responsible and trustworthy AI applications.
Photo: CNA
DevDays Asia, which ends tomorrow in Taipei before moving to Kaohsiung on Friday, focuses on generative AI development as well as cybersecurity and digital resilience.
Taiwanese firms are seeking to embed AI technology in all industries, with some using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service. It aims to help companies with critical enterprise security, compliance and regional availability.
Microsoft says the service has provided more than 200 solutions for 12 industries in Taiwan.
Microsoft Taiwan general manager Sean Pien (卞志祥) said at the forum that the company’s AI research-and-development center, set up in 2018, has worked closely with the government and is happy to continue investing in Taiwan, including in AI talent cultivation, and software and hardware development.
The center is a major investment commitment for Microsoft and one of the company’s important projects in Taiwan, Pien said.
AI development is not only about creating generative AI technologies, but also about launching responsible and ethical AI applications, he said.
The US-based tech giant said it achieved its digital talent cultivation goal in Taiwan a year ahead of schedule.
Microsoft Taiwan chief operating officer Flora Chen (陳慧蓉) said the company in 2020 announced a target of training 200,000 digital experts in Taiwan within four years, and met that target this year.
Microsoft Taiwan said the program aims to help the nation in cross-area tech development and allow the company to inject resources into Taiwan to keep up with global tech development trends.
Despite completing the program ahead of schedule, Chen said the booming AI development field is expected to allow industries to grow and create more opportunities for the introduction of technologies to enhance production.
Microsoft is soon to launch an AI technology training program, which is to explore the latest AI technologies and help the public learn AI applications, it said.
Foreign tourists who purchase a seven-day Taiwan Pass are to get a second one free of charge as part of a government bid to boost tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. A pair of Taiwan Passes is priced at NT$5,000 (US$156.44), an agency staff member said, adding that the passes can be used separately. The pass can be used in many of Taiwan’s major cities and to travel to several tourist resorts. It expires seven days after it is first used. The pass is a three-in-one package covering the high-speed rail system, mass rapid transport (MRT) services and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle services,
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