Santa clara: The fourth annual Taiwan Tech Summit is set to take place on September 20 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California. The event will center around the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence (AI), as announced by the TaiwanNext Foundation.

According to Focus Taiwan, the summit aims to convene leading AI specialists to discuss technological advancements and Taiwan's potential role in the global AI innovation landscape. The agenda includes two primary forums: "Sovereign AI" and "AI Application." These forums will be spearheaded by the Coalition for the Global Alliances for Taiwan Technology and Diplomacy (GATTD) and the Taiwan Data Science Meetup, respectively.

The concept of "Sovereign AI" remains undefined, as noted by GATTD Vice President Hans Wang during a recent press briefing in San Jose. Wang will be joined by Kharis Templeman, a Stanford University lecturer and research fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Sergey Sanovich, a Hoover Fellow researching digital tools used by autocratic regimes. Together, they will explore the significance of "sovereign AI," its priority status in government agendas, and the complexities of developing secure and open systems.

Moderated by Sharon Chai of Uber, the "AI Application" forum will delve into the influence of generative AI on various sectors, workflows, and creativity. The panel features notable figures such as Yusan Lin, CEO of Mirror Mirror AI, technology veteran Ming T. Lu, and Kuo Wei-cheng, Chief Product Officer at Cheehoo Labs Inc.

The summit will also offer career panels and a Taiwan Demo Day organized by the National Development Council's (NDC) Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley Hub, providing a platform for startups to connect with investors. Startup Island Taiwan's Silicon Valley hub, launched in January, serves as an incubator for new businesses aligned with the NDC's strategic industry transformation plan.

In addition, Taiwan Tech Week will be held from September 15-20, organized by the Silicon Valley hub to aid startups in acquiring funding with support from local organizations, the Taiwan Stock Exchange, and NTU Alumni Ventures, a venture capital fund jointly established by the NDC and National Taiwan University in July 2024.