As Taiwan export orders fall for eighth straight month, chips for GPT-type AI seen as long-term fix
- Technology behind a global surge in demand for 5G communications and artificial intelligence programs may provide some respite for the tech-dependent island’s economy
- Taiwan’s export orders declined by 18.1 per cent in April, year on year, as global markets continue to buy fewer Taiwanese goods
Orders for Taiwanese goods, guided by global interest in hi-tech hardware such as semiconductor chips, fell for an eighth straight month in April on weak demand, the island’s government said on Monday.
“It’s pretty obvious, in some conservative sectors like PCs and phones, that demand for chips is declining significantly,” said Albert Liu, founder of Kneron, an eight-year-old design house for AI chips.
GPT is now part of his firm’s “future road map”, he said.
“It’s lucky we have a reconfigurable layout – that’s our secret sauce,” said Liu, who employs 180 people in Taiwan and 40 in California. “We can reconfigure the function inside to support the different market needs.”
The value of export orders last month declined by 18.1 per cent, year on year, to US$42.49 billion, the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Major world markets took fewer made-in-Taiwan electronics and their parts than a year prior, according to analysts.