Google expands Taipei AI center as computing demand grows

Google擴大台北AI中心以因應運算需求成長

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Google will expand its Taipei AI research center by 60%, strengthening Taiwan’s position as the company’s largest hardware engineering base outside the US, CNA reported Wednesday.

Speaking after his keynote at Semicon Taiwan, Google Senior Vice President of AI and Infrastructure Amin Vahdat said rising demand for computing power has made Taiwan a key engineering hub. The expansion of the company’s Shilin center, announced as Google marks 20 years in the country, will help meet demand for AI infrastructure, he said.

Taiwan’s importance extends beyond semiconductor manufacturing. The country has expertise in advanced chip packaging, liquid cooling, high-power electrical systems, and other technologies needed to build and operate large-scale AI computing systems.

Local engineers and tech partners also help Google turn hardware designs into products manufactured at scale. The company works with Taiwanese firms on design and manufacturing, while its local teams coordinate with partners throughout development and production.

The process begins by expanding production capacity and preparing new systems for testing. Taiwan-based engineers also test chips after they leave TSMC production lines, ensuring they work properly before delivery to developers.

Vahdat said initial chip testing allows software teams to evaluate performance and functions. Much of this early-stage work takes place in the country, highlighting its role in Google’s AI hardware development.

Although physical limits may eventually constrain hardware performance, people and partnerships determine how quickly new technology advances, Vahdat said. Local engineering talent and the technology ecosystem will remain important to Google’s long-term AI infrastructure efforts.