In this data-driven era, technology is not only the engine of economic development but also a key factor affecting our democracy and social structure. Therefore, our center focuses on the national science and technology development blueprint of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) as its core research area, striving to find a balance between technological innovation and social progress, ensuring that technological development respects and promotes democratic values. Our goal is to delve into the impact of technology on democracy and society through interdisciplinary research and promote public participation.

In recent years, the trade war between the US and China, regional conflicts, and technology competition have impacted the global economy and trade. With the development of emerging technologies, especially the generative artificial intelligence that has amazed the public in recent years, technology giants have gained a dominant position in the discourse on emerging technologies. However, this also affects the rights of the public, such as whether AI algorithms contain social biases, whether technological development is creating a greater digital divide, whether technological development can promote civic participation, and whether technology is impacting the transformation of the labor market structure. These are the key research areas that our center focuses on.

In other words, technological development may be subject to changes in global geopolitics. Taiwan cannot only focus on maintaining a technological lead in the technology industry; it also needs to observe from a humanities and social sciences perspective, anticipate situations early, and respond with policies. Therefore, the establishment of the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) signifies our profound understanding of the intricate relationships between technology and politics, economy, and society.

In the future, our center also looks forward to closely cooperating with the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the Institute for Information Industry, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, the Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and the Science and Technology Policy Research and Information Center to build a policy research ecosystem. Moreover, the center will gradually expand by recruiting overseas doctoral students from the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and European Union countries to help understand and engage with foreign think tanks, thereby expanding our cooperation with overseas think tanks.

We hope to make meaningful contributions to society in the near future, proposing policy solutions to proactively address the impact of technological development on human society and democracy. I also encourage public participation and feedback. Your views and suggestions are crucial to us, helping us better understand the impact of technology on human society and guiding our research direction. We look forward to engaging in extensive dialogues with all sectors of society to explore how to achieve a balance and co-prosperity between technology, democracy, and society.