Taiwan is emerging as a global leader in combating AI-driven disinformation, with its unique model for digital democracy becoming a key export. Its participation in the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group on Elections (AI AGE) underscores its expertise in navigating the challenges AI presents to free and fair elections. Taiwan’s experience has transformed it into a practical laboratory for democratic resilience in the age of artificial intelligence, offering vital strategies to counter increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns, particularly those from authoritarian regimes.
The international community is taking note of Taiwan’s proactive approach. As other nations grapple with the risks of AI, Taiwan has become a highly sought-after voice in global AI governance. Cyber Ambassador Audrey Tang’s frequent appearances at major international conferences, such as the Munich Cyber Security Conference and the AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington, highlight the growing recognition of Taiwan’s innovative digital democracy model. Taiwan’s inclusion in AI AGE allows it to share its hard-won lessons with over 145 countries, including the US, providing opportunities to adopt its best practices. Tang emphasized that Taiwan’s participation reflects a global appreciation for its government’s approach, which focuses on training AI to serve the greater good, unlock collective wisdom, and build a more accountable digital society.
Taiwan’s robust defense against AI-powered disinformation was forged out of necessity. For nearly 30 years, new technologies have intensified efforts to undermine its democracy. The adaptation of “three warfares” strategies to prioritize generative AI has introduced a more disruptive threat, as genAI can create vast amounts of original and persuasive content, making propaganda harder to detect and easier to weaponize. Before the 2024 election, cyberattacks against Taiwan soared 30-fold. A report from Taiwan’s National Security Bureau revealed a 60% spike in falsified content distributed by China using genAI’s capabilities, with millions of fake social media posts, articles, and newscasts flooding Taiwan’s information ecosystem. The Taiwan FactCheck Center has documented numerous AI-generated videos, including fabricated footage of politicians and fraudulent images, all designed to cast doubt on election integrity.
Taiwan has met this moment by co-governing AI with its people, a core mission guiding its rapid-response initiatives and civic fact-checking blueprint. The Ministry of Education’s False Information Prevention Project has implemented curriculum guidelines to teach students to “pre-bunk” online hoaxes. Government ministries’ engineering teams respond to falsehoods with countervailing narratives within 60 minutes, using AI to share up-to-the-minute graphics and short videos and host livestreams to inoculate the public against disinformation. Additionally, Taiwan’s civic fact-checking infrastructure, including groups like the Taiwan FactCheck Center and DoubleThink Lab, provides citizens with essential tools. Tools like MyGoPen offer AI-powered, live fact-checking services, significantly speeding up the verification process, even when handling thousands of claims daily. These combined efforts ensured Taiwan’s recent elections passed without major incident.
Taiwan’s experience serves as a crucial blueprint for securing the future of democracy in the internet age. As AI capabilities continue to evolve, the world’s democracies must be prepared to adapt. Taiwan’s “AI Island” model, while addressing a distinct form of sabotage, demonstrates that resilience against AI-driven threats must become the norm, not the exception, if the world is serious about safeguarding democratic principles.
