Taiwan has huge potential as a cradle of artificial intelligence solutions, but so far its notable successes have come from start-ups like Appier rather than government-backed initiatives. Now, as the government opens the coffers to encourage investment in self-driving cars and AI healthcare, the race is on for Taiwan to develop an AI ecosystem that can compete on a global stage.
The News Lens
Date: 2017/10/26
By: Matthew Fulco
Long before there was Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, Taiwan had an active social
Photo Credit: Depositephotos
network of its own: the PTT bulletin board system (BBS). National Taiwan University student Ethan Tu founded PTT in 1995 as an open forum for online discussion, and it quickly became Taiwan’s most popular social network, attracting millions of users.
Today, PTT looks dated, like a relic from the era of dial-up internet connections. But 22 years ago, the concept of a social network for Chinese speakers to discuss everything from politics to the weather was fresh. Why didn’t PTT commercialize?
“We didn’t think software could be a business,” Tu says. “It’s been a problem for Taiwan for years.”
Entrenched hardware makers have held the technology industry captive here as software companies have conquered the world. Firms like Google and China’s Alibaba are now poised to take the lead in the emerging field of artificial intelligence (AI). Taiwan has no software company of that caliber. [FULL STORY]
