Many small and medium-sized enterprises can be supported in accessing AI, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Ho Chi Minh City's industrial and commercial ecosystem - Photo: ST
However, for these pillars to truly thrive, Ho Chi Minh City cannot rely solely on traditional resources. In reality, businesses need new impetus, and artificial intelligence (AI) is currently the tool that can create this leap forward.
Can AI boost SMEs?
In particular, many people often think that AI is only suitable for large corporations with abundant financial resources and personnel. But in reality, I find that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the group that needs and can benefit the fastest. They always lack manpower and resources, but they have the advantage of flexibility and a willingness to innovate.
Today, for a small cost, a business owner can easily let AI handle time-consuming tasks such as reading emails, managing schedules, drafting documents, conducting market research, or creating media content.
AI doesn't replace humans, but it frees them from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on innovation, planning, and business expansion.
It is crucial to deploy AI correctly. Proper deployment is also how businesses within Ho Chi Minh City's industrial and commercial ecosystem can optimize their development time and resources. I believe businesses need to start within the technology ecosystem they are already using.
For example, if a business is already familiar with Microsoft, they should leverage Copilot; if they are using Google Workspace, they can utilize Gemini. This approach is both cost-effective and avoids the problem of using multiple separate tools.
A small business without a marketing team can still produce videos , design websites, or build landing pages using no-code and low-code platforms. The owner doesn't need to know programming; a basic understanding of logic is enough to bring digital products to market.
To effectively apply AI, SMEs also need to invest in knowledge. Short-term training courses from Google, Microsoft, or other reputable organizations will help users understand how to operate, how to ask questions, and how to verify information. This is especially important because AI, even the most advanced models, can still fall prey to "hallucination"—giving incorrect answers that sound very convincing.
I've witnessed many businesses fail simply because they placed too much faith in AI and neglected verification. Therefore, an unwavering principle needs to be established: all data generated by AI must be verified, especially market data and information.
Furthermore, AI should not only be exploited at the individual level, but also deployed at the team level to leverage shared data and coordinate more effectively.
Ho Chi Minh City plays a constructive role.
At the macro level, I believe the State's role in creating favorable conditions is extremely important. If each enterprise only tries to apply solutions individually, development will be fragmented.
Mr. Nguyen The Duy - CEO of ADT Global - author of the article - Photo: Provided by the author
The Ho Chi Minh City government could act as the coordinating body to create a synchronized AI ecosystem.
In that ecosystem, large corporations likeFPT , Viettel, and VNPT play the role of providing infrastructure; universities and research institutes develop core technologies and train human resources; and businesses, especially start-ups, deploy applications quickly.
To achieve this, the government should build open data repositories for each sector, from healthcare and industry to education , so that businesses have the opportunity to experiment and innovate.
Once a product proves effective, commercialization becomes much easier. Simultaneously, a long-term strategy and rational resource allocation are necessary, avoiding scattered investments.
I believe that if Ho Chi Minh City knows how to connect three forces – the State acting as the conductor, businesses boldly applying AI, and researchers providing knowledge and human resources – then AI will not only be a tool, but will become a new driving force for growth.
This will be key to the city's industry and trade breakthrough, bringing Ho Chi Minh City closer to becoming a leading digital economic hub in the region.
NGUYEN THE DUY (CEO of ADT Global)
ADT Global is a company specializing in providing innovative technology solutions to meet the digital transformation needs of numerous government agencies and businesses.
In Vietnam, ADT Global is deploying its Multi-Agent AI solution – a platform that brings together multiple autonomous, specialized, and adaptable AI assistants.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ai-cu-hich-moi-cho-cong-thuong-tp-hcm-but-pha-20250917175827042.htm
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