At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a briefing from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) on draft guidelines for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by the Executive Yuan and its subordinate agencies. The premier said that AI is already changing the world, especially following the introduction of ChatGPT last year. Many people's daily lives have already been transformed by generative AI's ability to replace a number of tasks ordinarily performed by the human brain.
However, the technology also brings potential risks and shocks at an individual, societal and national security level, the premier said. Preemptive action is needed across a number of fields, including science and technology, industrial development, human resources and governance, so that the nation is prepared to face any internal and external social challenges posed by generative AI, and to protect national security.
The premier said the guidelines set out basic principles regarding the use of generative AI by the Executive Yuan and its subordinate agencies at the present time. This will help agencies share a consistent understanding of generative AI and its proper usage. The premier praised the creation of the guidelines, but noted that laws and legal institutions must keep pace with rapid developments in the nature of AI. He thus directed the NSTC to continue monitoring global trends in AI development, responding as appropriate and revising the guidelines as necessary to keep government agencies informed. He also directed all ministries and agencies to review the demands of their respective duties and to set their own regulations or internal measures accordingly for the use of generative AI. Finally, he also directed the Ministry of Digital Affairs to take the lead in establishing relevant standards and educational training procedures for using AI to increase administrative efficiency in ways that enhance public confidence in government.