Taipei: Google on Thursday launched an artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure engineering center in Taiwan, marking its largest AI hardware hub outside the United States, according to an official statement by the company. The new multidisciplinary facility will house hundreds of employees focused on designing, testing, and accelerating hardware innovations that support Google's global AI development, said Google.

According to Anadolu Agency, technology created in Taipei will be deployed across its data centers and AI infrastructure worldwide, while powering services such as Search and YouTube to the latest innovations powered by Gemini. "This builds on Google's existing presence in Taiwan, which is a unique setting that connects the critical elements for building AI infrastructure, from design and engineering to manufacturing and deployment," the company stated.

The opening ceremony held in Taipei was also attended by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te. "The opening of this new R and D (research and development) center in Taiwan highlights our growing role in global AI development, and we will keep leveraging our strengths to help build secure and trustworthy AI," Lai said on the US social media company X.

The company already operates its first data center in Taiwan, further cementing its commitment to the region and its strategic importance in the tech giant's global operations.