CONNECTED Podcast

Taiwan’s brain drain problem is very real. High-tech engineers, software developers and nurses are among those who continue to leave Taiwan for better pay, more attractive workplace cultures and safer futures abroad.Recruitment consultant Zeno Fu explains why so many young people in Taiwan do not see a future at home.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Humans themselves struggle to describe music, emotion and meaning. So how can artificial intelligence ever truly understand it?We speak with Li Su, a research fellow at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, about whether AI can actually create meaningful music, why music is more difficult to crack for AI than language and whether the future of AI music is genuine creativity, or endless waves of slop.#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Ever heard of microdramas? The 2–3 minute vertical video series have already surpassed traditional film box office revenues in countries like China.How does the industry behind these addictive reels operate? Tune in for our conversation with a microdrama producer Cameron Wen.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Working as cabin crew is tough – especially on one of Taiwan’s main carriers, EVA Air. We hear a behind-the-scenes account from crew member Helen Lee. She describes a system that actively penalizes staff for taking sick leave and shifts responsibility for wellbeing from the company onto individuals. She and other crew members even allege that the airline, its policies and practices were key factors leading to a colleague’s death.Helen also tells us why she stayed with EVA in spite of its ‘toxic’ work culture. She explains how the airline’s union (of which she is a member) has made real change in working conditions but still has a long way to go.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Gen Z has it tough: AI is set to decimate the entry-level white-collar job market by 2030. For many graduates, leveraging AI to survive and thrive is a must. We spoke to two grad job hopefuls about navigating today’s recruitment process and on-the-job AI nightmares.🎙️ Sarita Long, recent graduate from the London School of Economics🎙️ Josh Lee, student at National Taiwan UniversityPrefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Half of global fund managers say there is an AI bubble. The sector’s sky-high valuations and speculative fervor echo the dot com bubble. So is AI on course for a similar fate? Is a burst inevitable?Asianometry’s Jon breaks it down. How big? How soon? And who will be left holding the bag?Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Digital IDs promise the ultimate convenience. But many are concerned about safety and data privacy, especially in the face of fast-evolving AI fraud tools.Wayne Chang, the founder and CEO of SpruceID, explains verifiable digital credentials (VDC), as well as the role of blockchains and new security architectures in keeping your digital identity firmly in your hands.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Near one million subscribers today, Jon launched Asianometry back when many still thought of TSMC as the name of a Minecraft YouTuber.He joins us to unpack Taiwan’s semiconductor rise and Asia’s growing tech power alongside the channel’s own journey. We dive into TSMC and microchips, the AI hype, humanoid robots and why tech optimism still matters.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Most people see golf as bad for the planet. Delphine Tseng sees it differently. She’s an ecologist who believes golf courses can become unlikely allies for wildlife and conservation.As more Taiwanese take up a sport once reserved for the wealthy, we ask: can golf become truly sustainable?Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

In war games, the blue team almost always loses. Why? Atlantic Council's Global China Hub Associate Director Kitsch Liao takes us behind the doors of tabletop exercises (TTX) — now a go-to tool for officers, military planners and policymakers.With Taiwan Strait contingencies emerging as the most common scenarios, we uncover how war games really work, what’s real vs. illusion and why results of a game ‘don’t matter’.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Loneliness is everywhere, even in our hyperconnected world. Living overseas, navigating a bicultural identity and the rise of the ‘loneliness economy’ through dating apps can make the problem even deeper.Therapist Evon Chiu, founder of the Taiwan Multicultural Counseling Association, explains why she sees loneliness as the root cause of all mental illness and mood disorders — and shares practical ways to ease it.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Abdullah Cheng’s background often surprises people: he’s an imam of the Taipei Grand Mosque and a social media influencer educating people on Islam. On top of that, he’s a software engineer who created a halal ingredients scanner and a zakat calculator.We ask Abdullah about his journey and explore questions many have about Taiwan’s overlooked Muslim community — from halal food challenges and persisting social prejudices to Taiwan’s Muslim-friendly tourism.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Housing prices and the cost of living in Taipei keep climbing, making buying a home feel out of reach for most young people. Our guest Nien-Zu Chang managed to do it, but at what cost?What does it really take to buy a house in one of Asia’s most expensive housing markets?Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Did you know that the majority of landlords in Taiwan prefer to keep their rental properties off the books? We speak with Robyn Huang, a property tech founder managing over 1,000 units, who lifts the lid on shady landlord practices and difficult tenants, and reveals how rent prices are really set in Taiwan’s massive unregistered rental housing sector.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com

Could AI kill what makes us human — our creativity? Industrial designer Harm Hogenbirk of Pilotfish warns of a future where AGI and automation reshape not just innovation, but human purpose itself.In the first episode of the CONNECTED Podcast, we dive into how emerging AI may transform creativity, identity and the very structure of our society.Prefer video? Watch the conversation on our YouTube#StayConnected — follow us on Instagram#TaiwanPlus｜https://www.taiwanplus.com