Taiwan’s democratization and technological innovation have been inextricably linked since 1987, but the information technology boom has brought new challenges to urban governance, as malicious actors use it to manipulate information and create division, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at the AI x Democracy Forum in Taipei yesterday.
The international forum — which was organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, with attendees from local governments, as well as European, North American and Latin American organizations — was hosted by former minister of digital affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳) and featured a debate between academics and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.
Lin spoke ahead of a discussion centered on the use of innovative urban governance and global collaboration to boost democracy.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The Martial Law era ended and Morris Chang (張忠謀) founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co in 1987, meaning Taiwan’s political democratization and technological innovation sprouted at the same time, symbolizing the close connection between technological development and urban governance, Lin said, adding that this year marks 30 years since Taiwan’s first democratic presidential election in 1996.
Taiwan’s democracy has always stemmed from local autonomy, with mayoral and county commissioner elections first held in 1950, he said.
Effective local government incorporates into decisionmaking the daily lives of constituents and the long-term development of national democracy, he said.
Local governments have transformed into innovators in democratic governance, and have shared their experiences through international networks and global cooperation, he added.
Smart applications assisted in local governance during his time as Taichung mayor, although malicious manipulation of information could make it harder for the public to reach a consensus on many issues, posing new challenges for urban governance, Lin said.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) in a prerecorded video message said that the forum aims to reflect on the role of local administrations within the global democratic governance network.
Han said he hoped that participants would examine the benefits, opportunities, risks and responsibilities of AI in democratic governance, respect democratic values and use AI appropriately.
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