According to a report by money.udn.com, Cheng Shih-chia (程世嘉), a Stanford University computer science graduate with 20 years of AI research and practical experience, said advanced AI now shows tool-calling ability and goal-directed behavior. He cited the US government's 18-day takedown order on an advanced AI model this year as evidence that AI has risen to national-security and military status.
Who is Cheng Shih-chia, and what is his background for commenting on AI's national-security status?
According to a report by money.udn.com, Cheng Shih-chia (程世嘉) holds a computer science master's degree from Stanford University and has 20 years of AI research and practical experience. CNA (cna.com.tw) reported the identical credential, describing him as having "20 years of AI research and practical experience" with a Stanford CS master's degree. Both outlets frame this background as the basis for his remarks on AI's shifting status.
Why has AI been elevated to national-security status, and how have governments responded?
Cheng told reporters that "advanced AI already possesses the ability to call tools and exhibits 'goal-directed' traits," according to money.udn.com. As evidence that AI has moved beyond a purely commercial technology, he pointed to a concrete government action: the United States government this year required AI vendors to take an advanced AI model offline for 18 days, a move both money.udn.com and CNA reported as showing "AI has risen to the level of national security and military affairs."
CNA's report adds a timeframe and a further detail: the 18-day takedown occurred "in June and July of this year," and it notes that "software itself has also begun facing export controls." Following the US action, CNA reported that Chinese authorities "convened founders of open-source large models for a meeting to discuss countermeasures" — indicating that the US takedown order prompted a parallel policy response from Chinese authorities.
In light of both governments' moves to control access to AI models, Cheng advised, according to money.udn.com, that companies "should download and back up open-source models as soon as they see them," explaining: "because you never know which day China or the US will block it." This advice directly follows from the 18-day US takedown and the Chinese government's countermeasure meeting cited above.
What does Taiwan's semiconductor employment picture reveal about the case for software-hardware integration?
Both money.udn.com and CNA reported the same figures on Taiwan's semiconductor sector: Taiwan's stock market capitalization has climbed into the world's top 5, yet direct semiconductor employment stands at only about 300,000 people — just 3% of Taiwan's total workforce of more than 10 million. The two outlets presented this gap between market weight and workforce size as the backdrop for calls to expand into software-hardware integration.
How will AI reshape corporate productivity and talent structures?
According to money.udn.com, Cheng introduced the concept of "intelligence inflation," arguing that when top-tier AI reaches an IQ of 130 — "professor and genius level" — the value of knowledge and basic output will depreciate rapidly. He further stated that "super users" who know how to organize teams of AI agents can see individual productivity rise by 20 times or more.
What common stance do Chien Li-feng and Cheng Shih-chia share on Taiwan's independent innovation?
CNA reported that Chien Li-feng (簡立峰) said the most irreplaceable human qualities are "thinking power" and "slow thinking" — a view that stands opposite to Cheng's account of AI reaching professor-level IQ. Chien also said, per CNA, "don't just follow the world's agenda — follow the agenda you set for yourself," adding that maintaining subjectivity is what allows an irreplaceable position to be established amid the AI wave.
Key figures at a glance
| Metric | Value | Reported by |
|---|
| US advanced AI model takedown duration (2026) | 18 days | money.udn.com; CNA |
| Cheng Shih-chia's AI research/practical experience | 20 years (Stanford CS master's) | money.udn.com; CNA |
| Taiwan semiconductor direct employment | ~300,000 workers | money.udn.com; CNA |
| Semiconductor share of Taiwan's total workforce (10M+) | 3% | money.udn.com; CNA |
| Taiwan stock market capitalization ranking | Top 5 globally | money.udn.com; CNA |
| Top AI model's estimated "IQ," per Cheng | 130 (professor/genius level) | money.udn.com |
| Productivity gain for AI-agent "super users," per Cheng | 20x or more | money.udn.com |
What this means
The facts reported by money.udn.com and CNA outline a chain of cause and response: the US government's 18-day takedown of an advanced AI model this year, followed by China convening open-source model founders to discuss countermeasures, is what Cheng points to as proof AI has reached national-security status — and it is this same sequence that underlies his advice for companies to back up open-source models before they are blocked. Separately, the employment data show a structural tension in Taiwan's economy: a top-5 global market capitalization resting on a semiconductor workforce that is only 3% of total employment. And on the question of what AI displaces, Cheng's claim of a 130-IQ, professor-level AI sits directly against Chien's claim that thinking power and slow thinking remain irreplaceable — two views reported side by side in the same CNA account without either outlet reconciling them.