Taiwan's military is pushing to modernize faster as it faces a mix of new threats, from gray-zone harassment to AI-driven attacks — a sober signal of how exposed the island feels.

• Defense Minister Wellington Koo told graduating officers at the National Defense University that their real job starts now, as Taiwan builds up its combat readiness.
• The threats named were gray-zone incursions, cognitive warfare, and new tech like AI — pressure that falls short of open war but never stops.
• Taiwan's approach is built around people first, AI as support, and training that mirrors real combat conditions.
• Regular drills, including the Han Kuang exercises, are meant to speed up the switch from peacetime to wartime and spread command out so it cannot be knocked out in one strike.
• Officers from allied countries also received awards, a reminder that Taiwan is courting foreign military ties.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep expanding realistic combat drills and AI-assisted defense work as pressure from across the strait continues.