Ushering in Taiwan’s First Year of AI Application Under the New AI Basic Act: IFAIL Expands Nationwide to Cultivate the Next Generation of AI Legal Talent

Following the passage of the Artificial Intelligence Basic Act by the Legislative Yuan late last year, 2026 has been officially designated as the "First Year of AI Application" in Taiwan. This milestone signifies a pivotal transition in Taiwan’s AI development—moving beyond ethical advocacy into a new era of institutional framework building and legal governance.

The AI Basic Act establishes a comprehensive framework for AI risk governance, liability attribution, and regulatory systems, laying a solid institutional foundation for industrial innovation and public safety. At this critical turning point, AI ethical literacy and legal education are regarded as the fundamental infrastructure required to enforce legal governance effectively.

Expanding in Response to the Ministry of Education’s AI Initiatives

In 2025, the International Foundation for Artificial Intelligence and Law (IFAIL), in collaboration with the YongLin Healthcare Foundation, launched Taiwan's first "AI Legal Education Campus Tour Project" across four universities, attracting over 400 students.

To align with the national policies of "Cultivating AI Ethical Literacy" and the "New Ten AI Infrastructure Projects" promoted by the Ministry of Education, the 2026 Campus Tour Project has been comprehensively upgraded and expanded. The project now spans Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan, partnering with six major universities: Shih Chien University, Soochow University, Tatung University, Tunghai University, National Chung Cheng University, and National Taitung University. The newly designed curriculum closely aligns with the learning demands following the enactment of the AI Basic Act, featuring a forward-looking approach that integrates AI ethical literacy to deepen the cultivation of AI legal professionals.

Professor Chang Li-ching, Executive Director of IFAIL, stated: "Because of the profound significance and importance of this project, we received overwhelming response and support from industry practitioners and business leaders right from the preparatory stage." Corporate and legal sector sponsors include Sheng Min Enterprise Co., Ltd., Formosa Transnational Attorneys at Law, Zoomlaw Attorneys-at-Law, Lead Counsel Hsu Chao-ching of Zhong Bo Law Firm, Lead Counsel Chen Chi-tung of Legal Law Firm, Attorney Lin Wen-kai of Zhong Yin Law Firm, and Attorneys Ku Hsiang-yi and Liao Wan-chun of LCS & Partners. "This recognition from the private sector not only demonstrates the societal emphasis on AI legal education but also strengthens our foundation for integrating academic and industrial resources," Professor Chang added.

Three Major Upgrades to the 2026 Curriculum

  1. International Regulatory Trends × Real-world Case Studies × AI Ethical Literacy The course will compare AI regulatory frameworks across major countries in Europe, America, and Asia. Utilizing Problem-Based Learning (PBL), it integrates real news events and the latest draft regulations to guide students in legal analysis and critical thinking. The curriculum will focus on core issues such as fairness, bias, transparency, explainability, and liability, helping students build robust AI ethical literacy.

  2. AI in Daily Life: Smart Healthcare, Finance, and Transportation Emphasizing the close connection between AI applications and daily life, the course covers smart healthcare and data governance, FinTech risk management, and smart transportation and public safety. By exploring specific industrial scenarios, AI law transcends abstract norms to address real-world corporate risk governance needs.

  3. Industry-Academia Dialogue for Cross-disciplinary Talent Legal professionals with backgrounds in technology and cross-disciplinary industries will be invited to co-teach and interact face-to-face with students. They will share insights on the ethical risks, practical governance, and decision-making challenges of implementing AI, thereby strengthening students' ability to integrate law and technology.

Education is the Key to Implementing the AI Basic Act

"The passage of the AI Basic Act symbolizes that Taiwan has preliminarily established its AI legal framework," Professor Chang noted. "However, the key to whether this system can truly function lies in whether society's overall AI ethical awareness and literacy can be elevated simultaneously. Without systemic educational support, even the most perfect legal system will be difficult to implement."

The core objective of the AI Legal Education Campus Tour Project extends beyond mere course delivery; it aims to build a long-term network for cultivating AI legal talent and promote the institutionalization of AI legal education across universities nationwide.

Looking ahead, IFAIL will continue to collaborate actively with the government and private sectors, connecting more universities to build a resilient AI legal education ecosystem. By bridging the regional resource gap in AI education, the Foundation strives to enhance public trust, governability, and societal acceptance of AI applications, laying a solid talent foundation for Taiwan's AI future.

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