The global race for artificial intelligence dominance must be bounded by clear ethical limits—or it risks becoming genuinely dangerous. That is the warning from Yen Bo-wen (顏博文), CEO of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, who spoke with Storm Media in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Berkeley Innovation Forum Asia Summit (BIF Asia) in Taiwan earlier this month.
"AI development must have red lines drawn," Yen said. "If it is used in the wrong places, it is very dangerous and must be restricted." He called for stronger international commitment to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of what he terms a "good economy," arguing both are necessary counterweights to the accelerating concentration of AI power.
Taiwan's Semiconductor Clout Brought Berkeley's Elite Forum to Asia
BIF Asia, co-organized by the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, was held in Taipei and Hualien from June 5 to 8. It marked the first time the Berkeley Innovation Forum—an invitation-only, membership-based convening—has moved outside the United States. Taiwan holds two of its memberships: TSMC and the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation.
Yen said the choice of Taiwan was deliberate. Asia accounts for nearly 60 percent of the global population and has posted strong economic growth, but Taiwan's decisive advantage is its semiconductor industry. TSMC alone commands more than 90 percent of the global market in advanced chip manufacturing—a concentration of strategic capability that made the island a compelling and symbolic host.
"Open Innovation" and the "economy of goodness" served as the summit's central themes, reflecting a conviction that technological progress and ethical accountability must move together.
Nobel Laureates Have Already Drawn the Line—The Industry Has Not
Last September, more than 200 international leaders co-signed an open letter calling for binding constraints on AI technology. The signatories included Nobel laureates Joseph Stiglitz, Maria Ressa, Daron Acemoglu, and Geoffrey Hinton. Yen cited the letter as evidence that the alarm is being sounded at the highest levels—but that the tech industry has yet to heed it.
"The business community, in pursuing innovation and application, should weigh the ethical dimension," Yen said. "AI is advancing so rapidly that it must be regulated. Otherwise, its use in weapons, cyberattacks, and other harmful applications poses an extreme danger."
On the frenzy of AI investment among major U.S. technology companies, Yen was blunt. "They are driven by fear of missing out and fear of falling behind competitors," he said. "If you don't move now, you may never get another chance. But this race will ultimately produce one dominant player—and eliminate everyone else."
Anthropic Earns Praise for Refusing to Cross Ethical Lines
One company, Yen said, is getting it right. Anthropic, the U.S. AI developer, recently clashed with the Department of Defense after declining to allow its systems to be used in fully autonomous weapons or for domestic surveillance of American citizens. For Yen, the stance is a model.
"Anthropic's intentions are good. It is an ethical, conscientious company," he said. "It has chosen to restrict its own AI from being deployed in fully autonomous weapons designed to kill people. A company like that deserves recognition."
The broader concern, he added, is that AI's rapid expansion is widening global inequality in ways that will be difficult to reverse. "Whoever holds the AI advantage—whoever commands greater computing power—controls more resources," Yen said. "The countries that are already falling behind will fall further behind." That dynamic, he argued, makes a serious international push on the UN SDGs not merely desirable but urgent.
Tzu Chi's Three-Loop Framework: From Recycling to Global Humanitarian Cooperation
Tzu Chi's invitation to join BIF as a member reflects its track record in what Yen calls compassionate technology and social innovation. The foundation's circular economy model produces more than 1,000 types of items—folding beds, blankets, portable wardrobes, backpacks, and more—from sorted and recycled materials, then channels those items directly into disaster relief operations. The approach reduces pollution and cuts emissions from incineration while serving a humanitarian purpose.
Yen describes this as the first of three loops. The second is what he terms a "spiritual cycle": revenue from recycled materials supports Da Ai Television, the foundation's ad-free broadcaster, which airs stories of goodness and charitable work to encourage broader participation. The third connects global partners in humanitarian cooperation aligned with the UN SDGs—a cycle of shared good. Together, the three loops form the framework Yen calls Tzu Chi's model of sustainable, values-driven impact.
Drone Pilots in Training as Tzu Chi Builds a Disaster-Response Fleet
Beyond the circular economy, Tzu Chi has incorporated a range of emerging technologies into its emergency response operations. Among them is a portable water purification unit developed with Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute—available in large, small, and backpack-portable versions, and designed to function without electricity for use in areas where power infrastructure has been destroyed.
The foundation is also assembling a drone fleet for delivering supplies to disaster zones. Operators—referred to internally as "pilots"—are currently undergoing training and must pass licensing examinations before deployment. The process takes time, Yen said, but the program is actively advancing, with partner organizations being recruited simultaneously. （Related： Pope Leo XIV Calls for Disarming AI in Landmark Encyclical on Humanity and Technology ｜ Latest ）
