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Emerging technologies are reshaping the world, bringing profound changes to the political, economic, and social landscapes. Mitigating negative impacts and guiding the use of technology to enhance societal well-being have become unavoidable contemporary issues. There is an urgent need to establish a holistic policy perspective that is interdisciplinary and imbued with a concern for humanity and society to comprehensively assess and respond to the impacts of emerging technologies on democracy and society.
Currently, Taiwan faces the cross-border spread of digital authoritarianism. We must conceive a technology governance strategy that can maintain the democratic and free system, strengthen national security, and promote social equality, to help Taiwan resist authoritarian challenges.
The establishment of the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology, sponsored by the National Science and Technology Council, is precisely to undertake these significant tasks:
As a national think tank, we are committed to proposing policy recommendations on emerging technologies based on the public needs of democracy and society and to offering the international community a unique Taiwanese perspective. In terms of value orientation, we focus on the five major visions of “democracy, inclusiveness, sustainability, resilience, and innovation” to guide technological development, emphasizing the superiority of democracy.
Our English name, the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET, pronounced as “D-set”), places “D”, for Democracy, at the forefront, symbolizing democracy as the core concern of our policy research. It also implies the notion of “Let democracy set (the tone for the rest)”, leading and setting the direction for technological development that can enhance public welfare through democratic values.
Our English name, the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET, pronounced as “D-set”), places “D”, for Democracy, at the forefront, symbolizing democracy as the core concern of our policy research. It also implies the notion of “Let democracy set (the tone for the rest)”, leading and setting the direction for technological development that can enhance public welfare through democratic values.
Through exchanges with key think tanks and research institutions both domestically and internationally, we focus on exploring the geopolitics, and the impact of digital authoritarianism on international relations, internal social control, and democratic systems. Through this, we aim to establish a network of issues that are transnational and cross-sectoral with a democratic viewpoint.
Through cross-domain cooperation and exchanges among industry, government, academia, and civil society, we focus on emerging technology issues of significant importance to Taiwan that have not yet been fully addressed. We propose policy analysis reports and recommendations that help maintain the democratic and free system, strengthen national security, and promote social equality.
Starting with the interplay between technological development and application on democratic governance and civil society, we cultivate intergenerational and interdisciplinary talents by establishing a research network of overseas doctoral scholars. This enriches our pool of governance talents with a vision for technology democracy.
DSET emphasizes a flat and flexible organizational and operational structure to respond to the rapidly changing developments in emerging technologies effectively and to lead policy research on related issues. DSET has established an advisory committee, inviting six members from three aspects: technology, democracy, and society. Under the leadership of the chief convener, the advisory committee provides appropriate consultation and research directions for the center.
The operation of the center is supervised by a director and two co-directors, leading a team of researchers with specialized expertise. This includes researchers with doctoral degrees, policy analysts with master’s degrees, and Taiwanese scholars abroad organized according to the task and theme.