Taipei: The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) on Thursday urged Taiwan to establish comprehensive legislation for artificial intelligence, noting that while the country is experiencing a surge in AI development, it still lacks regulations that prioritize human-centered approaches.
According to Focus Taiwan, ECCT Chair Henry Chang highlighted the stark differences in AI regulatory approaches between the European Union and the United States. The U.S. is characterized by its innovation-driven and market-driven strategies, whereas the EU adopts a rights-first, centralized, and risk-based approach. The chamber emphasized that Taiwan's AI regulations should incorporate workplace safeguards to prevent unilateral adverse decisions against employees and address vulnerabilities in creators' intellectual property rights by amending the Copyright Act.
While Taiwan's Cabinet approved a draft Artificial Intelligence Basic Act in late August, its legislative review has been stalled. These AI-related concerns are among 192 recommendations from the ECCT's 25 industry and committee groups, including 64 new suggestions.
The chamber also pointed out Taiwan's shrinking labor force due to an aging population and recommended the removal of recruitment and brokerage fees to protect migrant workers and align with international standards. The ECCT stressed that this would help prevent potential U.S. and European trade sanctions over labor rights violations.
In addition to AI and labor issues, the ECCT expressed concerns over Taiwan's slow progress in expanding green energy initiatives. National Development Council Deputy Minister Jan Fang-guan responded by noting recent amendments to rules on hiring foreign talent and updates to Taiwan's 2030 emissions-reduction targets.
Chang acknowledged the government's efforts, noting improvements in 24 percent of the issues from the ECCT's 2025 position paper, marking the best performance in a decade. He extended gratitude to the government for its ongoing efforts to address these challenges.