Taiwan is broadening its use of artificial intelligence across its armed forces through new dedicated offices and governance initiatives, but a new report warns that unresolved institutional and technical problems could keep the technology from reaching its full potential.
The analysis, by researchers Fanny Chao and Sam Bresnick, points to governance gaps, immature digital infrastructure, cybersecurity weaknesses and workforce shortages as the main barriers likely to slow military AI adoption on the island. Those gaps, the researchers say, could limit both operational effectiveness and interoperability with partner forces in a future conflict.
Since 2024, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has stood up a Defense Innovation Office and a separate AI Office tasked with speeding the rollout of AI tools such as image recognition systems and cyber-defence applications.
Taiwan’s push mirrors a broader trend among smaller militaries trying to offset a numerically larger opponent with software rather than sheer mass, an approach often described as building an asymmetric deterrent. China’s People’s Liberation Army has invested heavily in AI-enabled targeting, drone swarms and decision-support tools of its own, making the pace of Taiwan’s adoption a key variable in how the military balance across the strait might shift over the next several years. Analysts have long cautioned that new technology only translates into real advantage if it is matched by trained personnel, secure networks and doctrine that lets commanders actually use it under fire, which is precisely the set of problems the new report highlights.