The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) recently hosted the “AI Supply Chain Resilience Dialogue” as part of its 2025 International Summit on Supply Chain Resilience. The event brought together experts from the United States, Europe, and Taiwan to address strategic challenges and opportunities within global AI ecosystems.
Moderated by DSET Advisor Jieh-min Wu, the panel featured Anthony Bak, Head of AI Implementation at Palantir Technologies; David Lin, Senior Director at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP); Mathieu Duchatel, Director of International Studies at Institut Montaigne; and Kai-Shen Huang, Director of Democratic Governance at DSET.
Highlights from AI Supply Chain Resilience Dialogue
Jieh-min Wu opened by emphasizing the need to balance innovation with regulatory frameworks, highlighting governance gaps across democratic supply chains, particularly within the European Union. He noted significant differences in policy approaches among major economies like the US, China, and Japan, underscoring the importance of cross-national collaboration.
Anthony Bak from Palantir Technologies introduced the concept of “Digital Twins,” explaining how Palantir digitally replicates industrial equipment and organizational processes to proactively identify risks and enhance efficiency. Bak addressed common AI implementation concerns, focusing on efficacy and safety, stressing that AI alignment and safety are not merely issues of individual AI models but must be tackled at the system level. He advocated for international standards and frameworks to systematically ensure AI safety across diverse real-world applications.
David Lin from SCSP analyzed governance gaps within the “AI Stack,” comprising hardware/computation, software/data, and human talent. He emphasized the importance of innovation through invention, adaptation, and adoption, noting the dominance of export controls in current policy discussions and the urgent need to resolve regulatory fragmentation around data sovereignty and cross-border flows. Lin also highlighted talent shortages as a critical bottleneck for global competitiveness.
Mathieu Duchâtel from Institut Montaigne focused on the European Union’s approach, notably through the “AI Act,” contrasting Europe’s regulatory emphasis with the innovation-first approaches of the US and UK. Duchâtel underscored Europe’s strengths in talent and industrial AI, but identified weaknesses such as the absence of hyperscale providers, limited access to venture capital, and slower adoption rates in business and society. He advocated for clearer regulatory frameworks paired with investment in critical digital infrastructure to foster both safety and innovation.
Kai-Shen Huang from DSET elaborated on Taiwan’s strategic position in the global AI race. Despite Taiwan’s strength in hardware manufacturing, it remains downstream in the AI value chain, primarily as a consumer rather than a provider of frontier AI systems. Huang argued that Taiwan should proactively engage in international standard-setting and cross-sector collaborations to secure a more influential role in global AI governance. Without assertive action, Taiwan risks having critical decisions made for it rather than by it.
Q&A Session
During the Q&A session, talent emerged as a key theme. Bak shared Palantir’s approach of embedding engineers directly at client sites to optimize solutions. Lin highlighted America’s competitive advantage from its ability to attract global talent through favorable immigration policies. Duchâtel called on Europe to strengthen investment incentives and digital policies to address scaling challenges. In addressing AI requirements in national defense and security, Dr. Kai-Shen Huang quoted Anthony’s reminder that fully digitizing defense systems must be the utmost priority.
This dialogue underscored the importance of striking a balance between regulation and innovation within democratic systems, outlining strategic pathways for Taiwan and its international partners to enhance AI supply chain resilience through ongoing dialogue and collaboration.
Highlights from the Semiconductor, Energy, and Drone sessions, along with the full event transcript, will be released soon—stay tuned!
