Bridging Regions, Aligning Values: AI Governance and Democratic Innovation in the EU, ROK and Taiwan

This paper examines the normative efforts of the European Union, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Taiwan in the regulation of AI technologies for civilian purposes. Each of these countries is in the process of developing their approach to AI governance reflecting broader societal values and interests. By juxtaposing Taiwan’s and Korea’s models of democratic innovation with the EU’s human rights-driven framework, we explore how the identity of these actors but also their cross regional horizontal ties shape AI governance. Coherently with its identity and values, in the case of the EU, the emerging AI governance has been guided by its long-standing emphasis on human dignity, civil rights, protection of privacy, and transparency, incorporated in the 2024 EU AI Act. The EU seeks to establish norms to ensure that AI technologies are safe, transparent. Meanwhile, as democracies in a region often characterised by competing views of AI governance models, Korea and Taiwan have taken on a role as leaders in democratic innovation. This means that their focus is on fostering innovation ecosystems that support public participation and reflect democratic values. However, they remain commercially competitive and responsive to technological advances. This comparison of different normative models provides opportunities to also explore the impact of their relations at the international level. Furthermore, it paves the way for assessing potential collaboration in developing multilateral frameworks that address the ethical implications of AI while also being conducive to innovation.