Taiwan launches national AI strategy committee
Chief data officers are to be introduced across Taiwan’s ministries as part of a new AI governance push.
Premier Cho Jung-tai chaired the inaugural meeting of the Cabinet-level National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee on Tuesday, marking a formal step in Taiwan’s effort to shape its long-term AI strategy.
Cho said Taiwan should move beyond its traditional role as a manufacturing hub and become a model for AI development grounded in freedom, democracy and public trust. Central to this vision is the use of domestic datasets to build what the premier described as a secure, trustworthy, and responsible AI ecosystem.
The committee adopted seven guiding principles for responsible AI, covering sustainability and well-being, human autonomy, privacy and data governance, cybersecurity and safety, transparency and explainability, fairness and non-discrimination, and accountability. Education, healthcare, finance, and justice were designated as the initial sectors for demonstration, with ministries expected to gradually expand AI use into a broader ‘smart living’ ecosystem.
Under the AI Basic Act, government agencies are required to complete the necessary regulatory adjustments within two years. The Ministry of Digital Affairs has been tasked with developing a risk classification framework and coordinating audits across sectors, with particular attention to areas affecting fundamental rights such as education and employment.
Drawing on the model of chief sustainability officers, Cho called for the appointment of chief data officers across government ministries to strengthen data governance, open data initiatives and AI training datasets. Data governance, he stressed, must balance innovation with protections under existing personal data and copyright legislation.
The National Science and Technology Council was instructed to revise the draft national AI framework based on committee feedback before submitting it for Cabinet approval. Sector-specific governance rules will also be developed, with the Ministry of Digital Affairs responsible for guiding industries on AI risk assessments, governance measures and internal controls.
Why does it matter?
Taiwan’s strategy illustrates how AI policy is increasingly intertwined with questions of digital sovereignty, governance and democratic values. By emphasising trusted AI, domestic datasets and protections for privacy and fundamental rights, Taiwan is seeking to distinguish its approach from other models of AI governance while strengthening its technological competitiveness.
The initiative also moves beyond broad policy ambitions by establishing governance structures and implementation deadlines. The two-year timeline under the AI Basic Act, together with plans for sector-specific rules, risk classification and data governance reforms, will provide an early test of how effectively governments can translate high-level AI principles into practical regulation and public-sector adoption.
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