Losing Taiwan means losing AI hegemony; China could dominate future tech, warns ex-White House official

Taiwan holds an "absolutely irreplaceable" central position in global AI manufacturing, according to David Feith, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former senior director for technology and national security affairs at the U.S. National Security Council.

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Taiwan has an absolutely irreplaceable central position in economic and global AI manufacturing.

In an interview with Liberty Times, Feith warned that if China were to control Taiwan, it would be a decisive factor in determining whether future technological dominance rests with the United States and democratic allies or is dictated by the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian values.

Feith, who was in Taiwan to attend the DSET 2026 annual forum, emphasized that while Washington understands Taiwan's strategic significance due to its geography, U.S. defense commitments, and its democratic status, its economic importance is paramount. He described Taiwan not just as a global center but as the true core of America's own future economic growth vision.

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If China controls Taiwan, it will be the decisive factor in determining whether future technology is dominated by the U.S. and the democratic camp, or by the Chinese Communist Party with authoritarian values.

Addressing claims that Taiwan's critical role in semiconductor and AI manufacturing could diminish within a few years, Feith called it a "major misunderstanding." He explained that Taiwan's core status stems from an extremely dense and complex ecosystem, encompassing not only advanced logic chip manufacturing but also extensive packaging and bonding activities. He asserted that it would take many years for the U.S. and its allies to develop the capability to operate independently of this specific Taiwanese ecosystem.

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This is a major misunderstanding.

Feith further elaborated on the strategic implications of China gaining control of Taiwan's AI manufacturing ecosystem. He recalled that the Trump administration considered U.S. leadership in AI a crucial strategic principle. The stakes in AI leadership, he warned, extend beyond economics and business, fundamentally impacting global strategy. He cautioned that the AI era could bring not only personalized medicine but also personalized warfare and the potential for terrifying personalized tyranny. Therefore, he concluded, Chinese control over Taiwan would be the deciding factor in who ultimately commands technological supremacy.

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The AI era will not only bring personalized medicine, but also personalized warfare and the potential threat of terrible personalized tyranny.