Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On June 15, 2026, Taipei Mayor Wan-An Chiang attended the 2026 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Lecture and delivered a speech titled “Human Touch in a Smart City,” sharing Taipei’s governance experience in smart cities, child and adolescent health, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, and urban resilience. He mentioned that although technology and economic growth are important, the most core belief in city governance for Taipei has always been putting people first.

By using the “Milk for Every Student” policy as an example, Mayor Chiang noted that Taipei combines digital student ID cards with convenience store channels to enable students to collect fresh milk every week near their homes or schools. This policy not only responds to children’s health needs and the needs of local dairy farmers but also involves the use of data for precise management and control, thereby mitigating the risks of insufficient distribution and waste. He also mentioned that this policy transcends a single technological application: “Technology itself is not the goal; the goal is to use technology to provide citizens with better services.”

During the event, Mayor Chiang mentioned that Taipei successfully attracted NVIDIA’s first overseas headquarters, representing the global technology industry’s confidence in Taipei’s future. To ensure the success of this project, the city government will connect technology clusters in Neihu, Nangang, Shilin, and other areas to create a “Taipei Tech Cluster” and will also use the Beitou Shilin Technology Park as a city-level AI demonstration site to promote the introduction of AI into the biotech, smart health care, information and communications technology, and MICE industries. He also explained that Taipei is the first city in Taiwan to establish comprehensive AI operating guidelines, enabling civil servants to use AI and improve the efficiency of public services under clear regulations.

At the end of his speech, Mayor Chiang mentioned that Taipei is a city with advanced systems and technological capacity, but its true strength originates from its diversity, democracy, innovation, and warmth. He used Taiwanese hot pot as a metaphor for the city’s urban character, emphasizing that the city is similar to a hot pot that blends different ingredients: open, inclusive, and full of vitality. He also thanked the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Nominating Committee for recognizing Taipei and mentioned that this honor belongs to the civil servants who have devoted themselves to municipal affairs over the past several decades, as well as to all citizens of Taipei.

During the forum, a Q&A session was held by Dr. Koon-Hean Cheong, Chair of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Nominating Committee and Chair of Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities.

Regarding the issue of climate change, Mayor Chiang noted that every city has its own climate or disaster challenges and that Taipei is usually exposed to heavy rainfall, earthquakes, and typhoons. He cited Taipei’s investment of more than US$200 million to increase the capacity of its drainage system from 78.8 to 88.8 mm/h. One of these efforts involves constructing an underground stormwater detention tunnel in the Dunbei area, which can hold water with a volume of approximately 16 standard swimming pools. This tunnel used a shield tunneling construction technique similar to that used in MRT projects to minimize disruption to citizens’ daily lives.

Regarding the issue of technology, Mayor Chiang shared Taipei’s experience in introducing AI into the 1999 Citizen Hotline. He mentioned that when a citizen calls with any question, AI can instantly convert speech into prompts, scan the database, and provide the operator with precise answers, which reduces processing time by 90%. He also noted that Taipei’s goal is to have all city government civil servants deploy AI agents in their daily work by the end of the next year and to provide the smart assistant CiviClaw on an open-source basis to enable more cities to use it.

Mayor Chiang emphasized that AI development can save time and improve efficiency, but it must also address risks such as privacy, disinformation, and bias. Taipei has therefore taken the lead in establishing AI operating guidelines, encouraging civil servants to use AI while ensuring that they do not cross legal red lines. This approach can help the city strike a balance between innovation and risk control.