Multifunctional service robots could be the next new area in which Taiwan could play a significant role, given its strengths in chip manufacturing and software design, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) chairman and chief executive C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said yesterday.
“In the past two months, our customers shared a lot of their future plans with me. Artificial intelligence [AI] and AI applications were the most talked about subjects in our conversation,” Wei said in a speech at the National Science and Technology Conference in Taipei.
TSMC, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, counts Nvidia Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Apple Inc and Tesla Inc among its clients.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“In my opinion, we [Taiwan] can harness our strength in the AI area. We have good chip design houses capable of designing all sorts of products. We have good technologies in chip manufacturing, chip packaging and data center production, allowing us to play a central role in the AI sector,” he said.
Among AI applications, versatile service robots would be the next trend, Wei said, based on information TSMC has gleaned from its customers.
“I just talked to the world’s richest guy the other day. He told me [developing] versatile robots is the direction he is striving toward, not cars,” he said. “I asked him what worries him the most about developing such robots; he said lack of chip supply would be his biggest concern.”
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Wei said he jokingly told the billionaire that chip supply should not be a problem as long as he pays.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is widely considered to be the person Wei referred to in his speech, as the electric vehicle maker has showcased its Tesla robot, Optimus, months ago and plans “low production” of the humanoid robots for internal use next year, before stepping up high-volume production for external companies in 2026.
Wei identified versatile service robots as the next new business opportunity for Taiwan, as such robots require good AI chips, software and precision machinery for production.
That would be a field in which Taiwan can play a vital role given its technology talent pool and industrial environment, he said.
Drones is another segment that Taiwan can focus on, Wei advised the National Science and Technology Council.
Taiwanese software developers and precision machinery manufacturers should allocate as much resources as possible to this area, as drones can be applied to a wide range of services, from measurement to transporting goods and even humans, he added.
In his opening speech, President William Lai (賴清德) told the conference that he hoped science and technology could lead the charge in facing the rise of AI and geopolitical challenges.
Lai said the Executive Yuan’s Economic Development Commission last week approved six flagship regional projects to build railroads, improve healthcare, expand cultural tourism and build housing in the hopes of better integrating science and technology into daily life.
Next year’s science and technology budget is set at NT$196.5 billion (US$6.05 billion), NT$7.7 billion more than last year, he said, adding that he hoped the increased budget would make Taiwan a world leader in technology.
The commission plans to invest in 140 major infrastructure projects, of which 100 have already commenced, Lai said.
Drafting of national policy relies on the experience of industry and academic experts paired with technology, so discussions held at this week’s conference would be critical in future policymaking across government bodies, he said.
The conference is key to creating the nation’s blueprint for science and technology, and setting mid to long-term development goals, Cabinet members and National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said.
This year’s conference differs in its forward-thinking, balanced and people-focused approach to enhancing future research-and-development projects, Wu said.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
US PUBLICATION: The results indicated a change in attitude after a 2023 survey showed 55 percent supported full-scale war to achieve unification, the report said More than half of Chinese were against the use of force to unify with Taiwan under any circumstances, a survey conducted by the Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center and Emory University found. The survey results, which were released on Wednesday in a report titled “Sovereignty, Security, & US-China Relations: Chinese Public Opinion,” showed that 55.1 percent of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that “the Taiwan problem should not be resolved using force under any circumstances,” while 24.5 percent “strongly” or “somewhat” disagreed with the statement. The results indicated a change in attitude after a survey published in “Assessing Public Support for (Non)Peaceful Unification
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
The China Coast Guard has seized control of a disputed reef near a major Philippine military outpost in the South China Sea, Beijing’s state media said, adding to longstanding territorial tensions with Manila. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has waved away competing assertions from other countries as well as an international ruling that its position has no legal basis. China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the contested waters, and Manila is taking part in sweeping joint military drills with the US which Beijing has slammed as destabilizing. The Chinese coast guard
RSS