Brace for new AI threats ahead of elections, AIT head says
PROGRESS: Taiwan has made impressive improvements in energy resilience, while increasing defense spending and upgrading its military tactics, the AIT director said
By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer with CNA
Taiwan must guard against artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled information manipulation ahead of local elections on Nov. 28, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said yesterday.
Although Taiwan has earned acclaim for its efforts to counter disinformation, it must still brace for a new wave of sophisticated, AI-powered cognitive warfare, Greene said during his keynote speech at the Taipei Security Dialogue hosted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
Taiwan also urgently needs to defend financial institutions and critical infrastructure against AI-powered cyberattacks, he said.
American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene speaks at the Taipei Security Dialogue yesterday.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The US’ top diplomat in Taiwan also touched on issues such as defense spending, military reforms and energy resilience.
Taiwan has made great progress in energy resilience by increasing the importation and storage of liquefied natural gas, which the international community has taken note of, Greene said.
The nation has also made less visible, but equally impressive, improvements in its electricity allocation policy, power-grid decentralization, use of coal-fired plants and renewables, and exploration of alternative energy sources, including small modular reactors and geothermal energy, he said.
Washington welcomes President William Lai’s (賴清德) commitment to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030, as US allies face rising security threats around the globe, he said.
US President Donald Trump has been calling on European countries to take on greater responsibilities for their self-defense, he said, adding that Ukraine has shown that sustained military spending can improve a nation’s military capabilities.
Compared with many other US partners, Taiwan is far better placed financially to boost its defense, Greene said.
Military preparedness should not just aim to win a war, but to prevent a conflict from breaking out altogether, he said.
Deterring Chinese aggression is paramount for Taiwan and the world, he said.
“Beyond the human toll, any conflict across the Taiwan Strait would have a bigger impact on the global economy than the Second World War,” Greene said.
The Trump administration has made preserving peace in the Indo-Pacific region one of its top priorities, he said.
That includes “vigorous” diplomacy, especially at the highest levels, he said.
“The upcoming US-China summit is an opportunity to further advance a relationship of strategic stability, on the basis of fairness and reciprocity, that can avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations,” Greene added.
At the same time, the US is reinforcing its presence and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region to maintain a “favorable regional balance of power,” while supporting Taiwan’s work to enhance its ability to defend itself, he said.
Claims that Taiwan’s efforts to bolster national defense are provocative and accusations that the US aims to change the “status quo” in the region are false, he said.
Taiwan has been rapidly implementing lessons learned from Ukraine’s use of asymmetric warfare and emerging technology to fend off Russia’s invasion, Greene said.
Taiwan has many strategic advantages Ukraine and many other countries do not have, including advanced manufacturing capabilities, sea barriers and formidable natural geography, he said.
Taiwan’s armed forces are rapidly adapting to mission-command concepts, as demonstrated in the latest Han Kuang exercises, he added.
Such flexibility has been vital in Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s military, which has been hobbled by its rigid and hierarchical command structure, Greene said.
Taiwan and the US must constantly improve their defensive capabilities to safeguard peace, he said.
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