HSINCHU, Taiwan, May 23 (Reuters) - Taiwanese contract

chipmaker TSMC, a major supplier to Apple ( AAPL ) and

Nvidia ( NVDA ), on Thursday forecast an annual revenue growth

of 10% in the global semiconductor industry, excluding memory

chips.

"This is a new golden age of opportunity with AI," said

senior vice-president Cliff Hou, who was speaking at an event in

Hsinchu, where the company is headquartered.

In April, TSMC lowered its outlook for the global

semiconductor industry excluding memory to a growth rate of

around 10% from a previous forecast of more than 10%.

World Semiconductor Trade Statistics has forecast growth of

13.1% for the global semiconductor market in 2024.

TSMC has estimated second-quarter sales may rise as much as

30% as it rides a wave of demand for semiconductors used in

artificial intelligence applications (AI).

Nvidia ( NVDA ) forecast on Wednesday its quarterly revenue above

estimates and announced a stock split, lifting shares to a

record-high territory and impressing investors who have tripled

the chipmaker's market value in the past year on AI optimism.