Following its announcement in January 2018 to set up an AI (Artificial Intelligence) R&D center in Taiwan, Microsoft is to expand its investment further with new investment plans, to be released in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to a press release by Advantech on August 24. Microsoft stated earlier in the year that the company is to invest NTD 1 million (USD 32.6 million; USD 1=NTD 30.7) to build up an AI Team in Taiwan with 100 R&D personnel in the next two years and further to 200 within five years. Thus far, Microsoft has recruited 50 personnel for the team, ahead of the schedule. The company believes this wave of digital transformation is to generate USD 15 billion market value, thereby boosting Taiwan's GDP by 0.5 pp each year from 2021 onwards.Digital products and services are expected to contribute 50% of the country's GDP by 2021.

To know more about AI, please visit Development of the Global Smartphone Industry and Its Trends in Artificial Intelligence, 1H 2018 and Beyond, Application of 3D Sensing Technology in Era of AIOT