In May 2025, research fellows from the Democratic Governance Program of the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) visited London and Oxford, the United Kingdom, engaging in extensive discussions with multiple international think tanks and organizations. The delegation shared Taiwan’s practical experiences and ongoing challenges related to AI safety, information manipulation, democratic resilience, and cybersecurity governance. Through these interactions, DSET aimed to foster deeper ties and collaboration with leading UK-based institutions working on similar issues.
Diverging US-Taiwan Judicial Strategies in Tech Warfare: A Case Study
On May 12, at the Oxford University launch event for the book Chinese Outbound Investment: Law, Policy, and Business, Dr. Kai-Shen Huang provided a detailed analysis of the Fujian Jinhua-UMC case. His presentation examined the differences between Taiwanese and U.S. judicial strategies in addressing critical technology issues related to China, emphasizing how these approaches reflect distinct geopolitical priorities. Dr. Huang’s insights sparked enthusiastic responses from participants, with Professor Yeling Tan highlighting the analysis as an ideal teaching resource for understanding interactions between geopolitics and commercial interests.
Cross-Sector Cybersecurity and Platform Resilience Dialogue
On May 13, Dr. Huang and non-resident fellow Shawn Sun met with Pia Hüsch and Dr. Gareth Mott from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), exchanging views on governance and psychological impacts related to ransomware attacks. Drawing on Taiwan’s experiences, they discussed challenges in cross-agency coordination, overlapping roles, communication gaps, and limited cybersecurity awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Dr. Mott emphasized the importance of transforming cybersecurity incidents into concrete learning experiences to boost proactive defense capacities. Establishing psychological support mechanisms and secure knowledge-sharing networks were identified as critical factors.
Later that afternoon, Dr. Huang and Sun met with Daria Cybulska, Fiona Romeo, and Franziska Putz from the Wikimedia Foundation to discuss misinformation response strategies and information resilience. Wikimedia UK representatives highlighted resilience as an institutional practice embedded deeply within community culture, demonstrating how decentralized and open editorial processes can coexist effectively with democratic values. This provided valuable insights for Taiwan’s efforts in constructing a reliable public information environment.
Epistemic Security and Digital Sovereignty Discussions
On May 14, Dr. Huang and Sun visited Article 19, engaging with Senior Legal Officer Chantal Joris and others, joined virtually by research fellows You-Hao Lai and Billy Zhe-Wei Lin. The dialogue centered on the implications of automated moderation by generative AI for free speech and the increasing complexity of grey zones in information governance. Starting from DSET’s recent report, Resilience in Truth, Dr. Huang described Taiwan’s approach to information manipulation, triggering a vibrant discussion on the impacts of AI moderation and human rights considerations.
On May 15, the team met with Polly Curtis, Elizabeth Seger, and James Plunkett from DEMOS, with Lai and Lin joining remotely. Discussions focused on epistemic security, critical to national security and democratic sustainability. DEMOS praised Taiwan’s impressive digital resilience but acknowledged Dr. Huang’s observation that despite active civil society engagement, Taiwan still faces fragmented responses and resource constraints. Both Taiwan and the UK also grapple with challenges arising from policymakers’ limited familiarity with digital technologies.
That afternoon, Dr. Huang and Sun visited Ben Bland, director of the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, for an in-depth discussion on China’s generative AI development trends and their implications for data privacy, industrial structure, and censorship. The conversation touched on platforms such as DeepSeek and Qianwen, analyzing how China’s AI strategies could pose risks to Western societies.
Democratic Resilience amid the US-China AI Competition
On May 16, Dr. Huang and Sun met with Andrew Strait, Head of the Social Resilience Group at the AI Security Institute, to discuss strategies for addressing AI security challenges amid growing US-China competition. Strait facilitated Dr. Huang’s participation in a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology meeting, inviting him to share insights on global risks posed by Chinese AI developments.
Subsequently, Dr. Huang and Sun visited the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), engaging with Alex Scales and Franklin De Vrieze, joined remotely by Lai and Lin. WFD presented their democratic resilience projects in Southeast Asia, including technical cooperation with Taiwan’s legislature. Dr. Huang shared how Taiwan’s civil society has strengthened democratic resilience through collaborative responses to information manipulation.
DSET’s UK visit highlighted Taiwan’s practical experiences in information environment security and AI safety. Through these high-level dialogues, DSET not only brought Taiwanese insights to UK institutions but also gained valuable updates on AI policy developments. In the rapidly evolving information landscape, continuous international dialogue, institutional innovation, and collaboration are crucial to protecting democratic values and maintaining public trust.
