Taipei, May 14 -- Kevin Zhang, Deputy Co-COO at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), on Thursday said that AI is projected to drive global semiconductor output to USD 1.5 trillion by 2030. He noted that AI is expected to replace smartphones as the chip industry's primary growth engine.

According to a report by Focus Taiwan, speaking at TSMC's 2026 Taiwan Technology Symposium in Hsinchu, the TSMC Deputy stated that AI development had advanced far faster than expected and was rapidly reshaping the global technology industry.

"Over the past decade, smartphones were the key growth driver for semiconductors. In the future, that growth momentum will come from AI," the report quoted Zhang, who also serves as the chipmaker's senior vi...