Quanta Computer founder Barry Lam (林百里) yesterday received the Ministry of Science and Technology’s First Class Science and Technology Profession Medal for his work in developing artificial intelligence (AI).
Minister of Science and Technology Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) said Lam was its first awardee after creating the system of gold, silver and bronze medals in July last year to honor people who have made outstanding contributions to science and technology.
Lam was chosen as he is a “missionary” for AI technology, the development of which is one of the ministry’s key policies, Chen said at the award ceremony at the ministry in Taipei.
Although some academics have criticized Chen for putting excessive emphasis on AI development over other branches of science, Chen said that developing AI could help sharpen core abilities across disciplines.
Academia Sinica academician and data scientist Kung Hsiang-Tsung (孔祥重) and Synopsys president Chan Chi-foon (陳志寬) are the other two recipients of a gold medal, the ministry said, adding that it is to hold their award ceremonies at a later date.
Quanta, along with Taiwan Mobile and Asustek Computer, is one of the ministry’s partners in developing the Taiwan Computing Cloud platform, which began commercial operations in October and is managed by the National Center for High-performance Computing.
Lam said that he was excited when Chen invited him to help develop the cloud platform, whose technical requirements, including adopting liquid cooling facilities, were stricter than other nations’ efforts.
Quanta was formed in 1988 to manufacture computers and related components, but new challenges and opportunities are pushing it to switch to an information and knowledge-based business by taking advantage of AI tools, Lam said.
Developing user-centric solutions in smart medicine, smart transportation, smart manufacturing, smart agriculture and smart entertainment is the company’s strategy to “reinvent” itself, he said.
It established the Quanta Medicine and Technology Foundation earlier this year in a bid to develop AI infrastructure for hospitals and precision medicine for everyone, he added.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
RSS