Taiwan Mobile CIO Tsai Chi-Yen Proposes 'Reverse Specialization in the AI Era' – Lowering Cross-Domain Barriers with AI

Taiwan Mobile (3045-TW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Tsai Chi-Yen delivered a speech today (29th), titled 'Reverse Specialization in the AI Era,' discussing the resistance enterprises face when adopting AI, the evolving role of specialists, and how Agentic AI can transcend traditional division of labor and skill silos. Tsai emphasized that 'reverse specialization' does not eliminate professional division but leverages AI to lower cross-domain barriers and reintegrate overly fragmented tasks.

Tsai stated that the most sought-after talent in the future will be 'comb-shaped individuals'—those who can clearly define problems, leverage AI and diverse expertise, evaluate AI outputs, and integrate capabilities into actionable outcomes.

Internally, Taiwan Mobile has already implemented AI across three dimensions: talent, platform, and process. On the talent front, senior executives lead by integrating AI into daily decision-making and management. Through the 'Superman Initiative,' employees are encouraged to step beyond their functional comfort zones and use AI to expand lateral capabilities.

On the platform side, the company has built an enterprise AI platform with data governance, access control, and cybersecurity protection, integrating knowledge bases and internal systems—effectively equipping every employee with their own 'AI department.' In terms of process, Taiwan Mobile is re-examining existing divisions of labor, shifting teams from rigid, pyramid-like structures to agile, task-based team formations that can be rapidly assembled.