TSMC Chairman Brushes Off Chinese Competition, Bets Big on AI Growth at 2026 Shareholders' Meeting

Reinforcing this position, Wei stated that Taiwan's existing supply chain remains unmatched by rival cluster pushes in South Korea or Arizona. He made it clear that TSMC is not at risk of losing its competitive advantage in next-generation chipmaking, noting the company has already purchased high-end equipment from ASML and is actively conducting related research and development .

AI-Driven Growth: A 30% Revenue Surge and Years of Short Supply

The centerpiece of Wei's financial outlook was a single, staggering number: full-year 2026 revenue growth is projected to exceed 30% . This bullish forecast is underpinned by a simple but powerful dynamic: AI-led chip demand is insatiable.

Wei warned that even with aggressive global capacity expansion in Taiwan, the U.S., Japan, and Germany, TSMC will be unable to meet the total demand for AI chips over the next several years . He candidly admitted that new manufacturing capacity in the U.S. is "still not enough, far from enough" to satisfy demand from major American clients like Apple and Nvidia .

Beyond the immediate boom, Wei pointed to a structural shift in AI as the next long-term growth engine. He noted that AI usage is rapidly evolving from generative, query-based models toward autonomous, agent-driven systems. This paradigm shift sharply increases the consumption of computing resources. Wei specifically cited robotics and autonomous driving as emerging fields poised to drive the future of chip demand .

On the financial side, the AI boom has already delivered a record-breaking 2025. Wei reported that TSMC's stock price surged over 150% year-over-year to NT$2,425 per share. Coupled with record revenue and earnings per share, he announced that employee bonuses had increased by approximately 30% for three consecutive years and that the company's cash dividend would grow by more than 30% in 2026 .

The Nanjing 16nm Question: No Update Provided

Despite the broad discussion of global operations and competitive landscapes, one question was left unanswered in the available reporting. There were no remarks from Chairman Wei specifically addressing the status or operations of TSMC's 16nm fabrication plant in Nanjing, China. The meeting's reporting centered entirely on the broader themes of macro-level competition, AI-driven demand, financial performance, and a multi-country capacity expansion strategy. Any update on the Nanjing fab's specific status was not publicly discussed at this event .