Chen Hui-min, Deputy Director-General & CISO, Administration for Digital Industries, Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA), Taiwan

1) How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive?

Inclusivity, for me, is a two-way conversation. It’s not just about reaching citizens in remote areas, but also about actively listening to the voices of our domestic ICT industry, the very creators of these digital solutions.

My role involves fostering this dual dialogue. On one hand, we run programs like the "Great South" plan to ensure technology reaches communities that need it most.

On the other hand, we hold regular discussions with software providers and tech startups. We listen to their challenges and co-design policies, like our government software procurement contracts, to be more agile and accessible for them.

A truly inclusive ecosystem is one where both the users and the builders of technology feel heard, supported, and empowered to participate. 

2) What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better?

In southern Taiwan, many long-term care facilities struggled with an information gap; they often didn't know how to apply for central government grants to upgrade their services. Our "Great South" plan was designed to bridge this exact gap.

I visited a facility that, with the funding they successfully applied for through our assistance, was able to introduce smart monitoring pads and telehealth systems.

The director told me this technology not only reduced the burden on their staff but, more importantly, allowed them to provide better, more proactive care for their elderly residents.

Seeing how a targeted policy could directly empower a local care institution, and in turn improve the quality of life for dozens of patients, was a profound affirmation of our mission. 

3) What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public?

As the agency's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), my responsibility is to safeguard the public's trust in our digital initiatives.

Every project we launch—from the Cloud Marketplace for SMEs to our talent cultivation programs—has a public-facing website or system.

The most impactful project for me is the continuous, often unseen, work of securing this entire digital infrastructure. Success isn't measured by a single metric, but by the absence of incidents.

It's measured by the trust a small business owner feels when they upload their data to our cloud platform, or the confidence a student has when they register for a program on our website.

Every secure transaction, every protected piece of personal data, is a success in building a trustworthy digital relationship between our agency and the people we serve. 

4) What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people? This can be about a specific project or a broader lesson about your work.

Our "AI T Ambassador" program is designed to help individuals without an IT background—from university seniors to recent graduates—learn AI skills and apply them in a real-world company setting.

The unexpected lesson was that these ambassadors, precisely because they were new to technology themselves, became the most effective bridges for digital transformation. They could explain complex AI concepts in simple terms because they had just learned them.

They empathised with the companies' fear of the unknown because they had felt it too. This taught me that to drive adoption, you don't always need the most elite expert; you need a relatable guide.

It’s a powerful reminder that empowering people from diverse backgrounds is the key to closing the talent gap and humanising technology. 

5) We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy?

Through our AI computing power support program, we help startups overcome the massive financial barrier of training sophisticated AI models.

A stellar example is a startup we supported that developed a lung cancer diagnostic model. By providing them with the crucial computing power, they were able to train their AI using 80,000 X-ray images.

This model is now officially approved by our Ministry of Health and Welfare and is being used in hospitals to assist doctors in early diagnosis.

This is inclusivity in action: government support enabled a small company to create a life-saving tool that makes high-quality diagnostic expertise accessible to more hospitals and patients. It builds trust by showing a tangible return on public investment in AI—healthier citizens. 

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6) How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year?

The next wave is undoubtedly the era of embodied AI and advanced generative models.

I am preparing by actively learning about the latest developments in service robots and their underlying platforms, whether from NVIDIA, Google, or OpenAI.

The integration of these robots into sectors like healthcare and manufacturing is imminent. Furthermore, I'm focused on the continuous learning required for Large Language Models (LLMs) and their evolving applications.

The challenge is no longer just about using AI, but about ensuring these powerful tools are applied responsibly and effectively in the public sphere.

It's a thrilling frontier that demands constant learning and adaptation. 

7) What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens?

Cultivate a boundless, open mind. Public sector innovation is not a siloed discipline. You must be a continuous learner, drawing insights from technology, sociology, economics, and art.

Don't be constrained by your job title or department.

Talk to people outside your field, read voraciously, and be willing to challenge your own assumptions. The most impactful solutions come from connecting disparate ideas.

A truly innovative public servant is one who sees the world without borders and relentlessly seeks new knowledge to better serve the public. 

8) Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector?

My deepest inspiration comes from empathy—from truly understanding the struggles of both the industry and the public.

It comes from conversations with a small business owner worried about cybersecurity threats, or from seeing an elderly citizen frustrated by a confusing app. These moments of shared vulnerability are powerful motivators.

They transform abstract policy goals into urgent human needs.

Building a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector starts with acknowledging these pains and letting that empathy guide every decision we make, every system we design, and every policy we write. 

9) If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be?

My dream project would be to create an "AI for Public Good & Disaster Prevention" initiative.

This wouldn't be a single platform, but a multi-faceted effort. One part would focus on combating misinformation and harmful AI-generated content by developing publicly accessible tools to help citizens verify information.

Another critical part would use AI for early-warning systems for natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons, providing more accurate predictions and clearer communication to the public.

This project would also involve collaborating with global tech giants, urging them to contribute their resources to these public good missions.

It's a dream of using AI not just for innovation, but for creating a safer, more truthful, and more resilient digital and physical world. 

10) Outside tech, what excites you the most?

Witnessing the growth of young people. Whether it’s through mentoring or simply observing the next generation, I am constantly energised by their optimism, creativity, and their inherent desire to build a better world.

They see challenges not as insurmountable obstacles, but as problems waiting for a solution. Their positive outlook is contagious. It reminds me that our work today is about laying a foundation for them.

Seeing them grow and knowing that the future is in such capable and passionate hands is what truly excites me and gives my work profound meaning.