In 2023, ChatGPT sparked a global frenzy for artificial intelligence, sweeping through the technology industry, capital markets, and numerous other fields of human endeavor. It is well-known that ChatGPT's success was driven by various forces, including Nvidia, a company producing AI chips. Last month, Nvidia's founder, Jensen Huang, visited Taiwan, causing an AI news storm. Interestingly, during this time, my family where spending vacation in Tainan, which happens to be Jensen Huang's hometown in Taiwan. A fascinating discovery emerged from several reports: the Shuei Sian Temple Market (水仙宮市場) near our hotel was, in fact, closely connected to Huang and his roots in Tainan.
What's even more interesting is that with the rise of the AI boom, there has been a significant increase in demand for AI chips. Another competitive player in the AI chip industry, AMD, has emerged to challenge Nvidia's dominance. The CEO of this chip company, Lisa Su, who has been in office since 2014, not only shares a Taiwanese background like Huang but is also a distant relative of his😱. In fact, the family that connects the two, the Luos, is a prominent family associated with the Shuei Sian Temple in Tainan. Interestingly, according to the family relationship, Su should address Huang as "Uncle"! 😆
Tainan's Shuei Sian Temple worships the Water Immortal King, an ancient coastal deity revered in ancient China, AKA the Chinese Poseidon! Who would have thought that this sea deity would give birth to the AI technology that is now leading the world's transformation! While we were enjoying the Three Brothers Fish Soup at Shuei Sian Temple Market, we had no inkling of its connection to this fancy technology at all, haha! Welcome everyone to check out the charming and local-flavored Shuei Sian Temple Market in Tainan, which I shared earlier in my travel journal post 【跟著TT去旅行】巷弄裡拍照、水仙宮的子民們以及... 有獎徵答（5 $HIVE）！
With Lisa Su's recent visit to Taiwan, she too attracted a wave of media attention, which reminded me of this interesting anecdote. Hence, I decided to write this article and share it on Hive. Perhaps in the future, someone will uncover this fascinating connection between this 400-year-old city and AI, and digitally transform the small settlement of Shuei Sian Temple Market, into a digital meteverse! Maybe my post would contribute to this dream a little bit! 😁
Finally, I welcome everyone to visit Tainan and explore this city with history! While you're here, you can also enjoy a bowl of Tainan beef soup or danzai noodles, and indulge in the delights of Tainan's ice and fruit offerings. After all, technology ultimately stems from humanity! 😊
This news article in Chinese explains in detail how the two are related: 2大晶片CEO是親戚？黃仁勳蘇姿丰關係曝
是的，ChatGPT在2023年開啟了全世界對於人工智慧的瘋狂熱潮，從而席捲了科技業、資本市場乃至於人類許多領域，或多或少，大家可能知道，ChatGPT的成功背後有許多推手，其中包括了生產AI晶片的Nvidia，日前其創辦人黃仁勳到訪台灣造成旋風，當時，我們家正在台南旅遊，也就是黃仁勳老家所在地，許多報導竟然讓我發現了一件有趣的事，那就是我們所住飯店附近的水仙宮市場，竟然就是黃跟台南淵源的所在。
更有趣的事，後來隨著AI熱潮，對於AI晶片的需求大增，另一間AI晶片的有利競爭者AMD也浮出檯面，要與Nvidia一較高下。而這間晶片公司2014年上任至今的執行長，蘇姿丰，不僅跟黃一樣是台灣背景的美國人，甚至，她跟黃仁勳是遠房親戚，連起兩人的台南羅氏家族，就是台南水仙宮的望族。說起來，蘇得叫黃一聲表舅呢！😆
台南水仙宮，祭祀水仙尊王，也是古代中國沿海所信奉的海神，沒想到海神孕育了未來引領世界改變的AI技術呢！我們在水仙宮市場裡喝著三兄弟魚湯，絲毫沒感覺到這裡跟科技有什麼關係😆😆😆，哈哈哈！歡迎大家去看看我先前分享的充滿迷人台南本地風味的水仙宮市場：【跟著TT去旅行】巷弄裡拍照、水仙宮的子民們以及... 有獎徵答（5 $HIVE）！
隨著蘇姿丰前一陣子也訪問台灣，又引起一陣媒體追逐，我想起這件有趣的事，因此特別寫這一篇，跟大家分享！或許以後，有人會找出這個淵源，然後透過AI，把這個跟AI有奇妙淵源的四百年古老城市的小聚落，數位化成一個水仙宮元宇宙呢！到時候，我這一篇文章就可以放入歷史紀錄了😁！
最後，歡迎大家到訪台南，探索這個尖端科技相關的古老地方！順便喝碗台南牛肉湯或擔仔麵，吃吃台南冰果店，科技始終來自於人性嘛！😊
- sources of images: Tainan photos from my own; the 1st image edited by adding two prominent AI faces; two AI images from pixabay; one family tree image from the news link in the post
- Interestingly, I've also used ChatGPT to help me with Chinese-English translation of this article.🤖