Taiwan media says Taiwan's economy shows a "two-speed" pattern; the AI boom is hard to drive traditional industries

Taiwanese media recently pointed out that, driven by demand for artificial intelligence and semiconductors, Taiwan’s economic performance in the first half of this year was impressive. However, the divide between the hightech sector and traditional industries is also widening, and the island’s economy is showing a “twospeed” characteristic. The report cited statistics showing that in the first half of this year, the electronic components industry and the computer, electronic products, and optical products industry maintained relatively rapid growth, while traditional industries such as chemical materials, textiles, furniture, and plastic products saw varying degrees of decline. Some scholars believe that while technology exports and the financial market are active, demand from the real estate sector and traditional industries remains weak, and the pressure on the real economy should not be ignored. The article also mentioned that this divergence is reflected not only at the industrial level but also in the income structure. Relevant statistics in Taiwan show that in the first half of 2026, the proportion of employees with regular wages below the average level further increased, and the wage gap widened. Public opinion suggests that in the future, traditional industries and small and mediumsized enterprises should be encouraged to accelerate the adoption of digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence, and that some of the benefits brought by the technology sector should be used to support the development of weaker industries.