As part of our event series Pillars & Umbrellas - Breaching the Borders in the Era of AI, we organized an online event on Japan and Taiwan on 15th and 18th November. The aim of the event series is to promote international and intercultural dialog on the ethical and social impacts of technological progress, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, and to stimulate discussion.

At the event on Japan, Karsten Michalke and Xiangguo Wang gave a comprehensive presentation on the Japanese approach to AI. They highlighted key challenges such as demographic change and urbanization and presented the national strategy "Society 5.0", which uses technological innovations to solve social problems. They explained Japan's approach to AI regulation, which is based on the principle of "agile governance" and emphasizes flexible, risk-oriented measures. Particular attention was paid to the use of new technologies in education, such as those promoted by the "GIGA School" program. Japan is also seriously addressing the challenge of promoting equality, diversity and sustainability, setting an example for a more inclusive and future-oriented society.

At the event on Taiwan, Prof. Jih-Hsuan Lin presented the Taiwanese government's strategies based on democratic values. She addressed both top-down processes in policy-making and extended participatory social debates, which are promoted by AI-supported platforms such as Pol.is and whose consensus can then be incorporated into political processes. Using illustrative examples, Prof. Lin showed how immersive AI technologies are increasingly being used in a variety of everyday scenarios, particularly in education. Prof. Tzong-Han Tsai, leading researcher of the TAIDE project (Trustworthy AI Dialogue Engine), highlighted the ethical significance of fake and fact-checking in LLMs (Large Language Models) and presented methodological approaches to problem-solving in this area.

Both events ended with a round of discussion in which participants explored both technical and ethical issues in a global context.