AI with open technology and open source: Unleash creativity, master the digital future

“Digital technology has, is, and will penetrate every corner of life, becoming the air we breathe; and to make technology as cheap as air, there is only one way - open technology,” Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized at the Vietnam Open Technology Forum 2025 with the theme “AI with open technology and open source”, taking place on the afternoon of November 3, 2025 in Hanoi.

The forum brings together experts, managers, and leading technology businesses to share visions, experiences, and solutions to promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) to serve the national digital transformation process.

Delegates take souvenir photos at the Forum.

Open Technology: The Only Way to Master the Digital Future

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung said that open technology is not only open source code, but also open architecture and open standards; along with open technology is open culture, where everyone contributes, creates and benefits together. When technology becomes a common asset, the cost per user will decrease, opening up opportunities for technology to be popularized to all people.

In the context of digital technology becoming the foundation of the socio-economy , humanity is witnessing a "great migration" from the real world to the digital world. However, along with that change comes concerns about cyber security and digital trust. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized that digital trust is the decisive factor for the success of this transformation, and only when technology is open and transparent can countries truly master their digital future.

Open technology is an affirmation of each country's technological autonomy. No longer dependent on externally closed "black boxes" of technology, advanced countries have declared to only use open technology for critical infrastructure to ensure safety, transparency and digital sovereignty .

The Minister affirmed: "The greatest creativity is the creativity of the entire people." No corporation or organization can solve all social problems. Only when technology is open, can each person create and solve their own problems. Each individual and business can "stand on the shoulders of giants", inheriting human knowledge to create new values ​​for the community.

For Vietnam - a country that is behind in industrialization - the way to go ahead is to take advantage of human knowledge through open technology, open source software and open data. From there, Vietnam can develop into a technological country, both inheriting world knowledge and contributing Vietnamese knowledge to humanity.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that choosing "open AI" is a strategy for Vietnam to break through, not to fall behind, and is a way to turn users into creators, and turn technology into national strength. "Elon Musk once said that if strong AI is in the hands of a few companies, that is the biggest risk to the future of humanity. Therefore, open AI is a condition to protect people and promote creativity," the Minister cited.

"Open to accelerate innovation, shorten the technology gap; open to be autonomous, master core technology and avoid being locked into other people's platforms; open to nurture the business ecosystem, especially startups; open to be transparent and safe, with multiple parties monitoring, reducing the risk of deviation and manipulation," the Minister emphasized, while affirming: "Openness must be disciplined, have safety standards, be inspected and be responsible."

To realize that vision, the State must play a leading role in the open game, through the use of open source code in Digital Government, the construction of the National AI Supercomputing Center, the National AI Open Database, and the ordering of open AI problems. This is not only a commitment, but also a Make in Vietnam strategy - developing and mastering Vietnamese technology on an open standard platform, for a self-reliant, creative and sustainable digital Vietnam.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung delivered the opening speech at the Forum.

Three pillars of Vietnamese Intelligence: Computing infrastructure - Open data - Open AI community

Presenting the report "Developing an open AI ecosystem - The foundation for national technological autonomy and innovation", Mr. Ho Duc Thang, Director of the National Institute of Digital Technology and Digital Transformation, affirmed that Vietnam is standing at a historical crossroads: Between the path of dependence on a closed "technology black box" and the path of autonomy - innovation - sovereignty called Open Technology. Choosing open technology is choosing national courage and aspiration, the path to building national digital sovereignty.

According to Mr. Ho Duc Thang, the "open" philosophy is completely compatible with the Make in VietNam spirit. AI today is not just a tool, but a national intellectual infrastructure, like electricity or the Internet. A country that does not master the intellectual infrastructure will lose its digital sovereignty in the 21st century. Open technology allows Vietnam to "stand on the shoulders of giants", taking advantage of global knowledge to solve local problems - from Vietnamese data, specific applications to Vietnamese-style innovations.

To turn the vision into reality, it is necessary to synchronously develop three pillars of strength: National computing infrastructure - the physical backbone for Vietnamese intelligence; Open data platform - the lifeblood that nourishes Vietnamese AI; and Open AI community - the collective brain of the nation. This is the foundation for Vietnam to create a comprehensive open AI ecosystem, where knowledge is shared, talent is connected and creativity is spread.

Quoting the Minister, Mr. Ho Duc Thang affirmed that open AI is not just a technology story, but a development vision - the path to a strong and prosperous Vietnam. To realize that vision, the whole society needs to join hands; as the Minister emphasized: The State creates institutions, businesses develop technology, and the community joins hands to contribute.

On the State side, the Ministry of Science and Technology is committed to pioneering the completion of the legal corridor for AI, building a flexible testing framework, investing in national computing infrastructure and innovating public procurement mechanisms to create "orders" for Vietnamese AI solutions. Enterprises, institutes and schools are called upon to take the lead in researching and applying open AI, creating "Make in Vietnam" products that are globally competitive. The community of experts and engineers is encouraged to become "soldiers on the open knowledge front", together building the "collective brain" of the nation.

"We have talked a lot about AI - now is the time to act," Mr. Ho Duc Thang emphasized. Let's bring AI to every hospital, every school, every business; let technology unleash the unlimited potential of Vietnamese intelligence.

If in 1945, Uncle Ho said "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom", then in 2025, we can affirm: "Nothing is more important than digital sovereignty". With that spirit, Vietnam can absolutely rise to become the center of open AI innovation in the region and the world, contributing to realizing the aspiration of a prosperous and powerful nation by 2045.

Mr. Ho Duc Thang, Director of the National Institute of Digital Technology and Digital Transformation, spoke at the Forum.

Within the framework of the Forum, delegates had a lively exchange in two thematic sessions: Session 1 discussed open technology, open source code and AI applications; Session 2 focused on computing infrastructure and security for AI development.

Delegates exchanged at the discussion session.

The Vietnam Open Technology Forum 2025 not only affirms the role of AI and open technology in the digital age, but also demonstrates Vietnam's aspiration for autonomy and innovation. With the spirit of "Open to master - Open to create - Open to break through", Vietnam is creating a comprehensive open AI ecosystem, aiming to become a regional center for open AI innovation, contributing to realizing the aspiration to master the digital future - for a strong and prosperous Vietnam by 2045.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/ai-voi-cong-nghe-mo-va-ma-nguon-mo-khai-phong-sang-tao-lam-chu-tuong-lai-so-197251103155614594.htm