Entrepreneur Nguyen Kim Anh, Product Director of VinBigdata: Pressure is an opportunity to become more determined.
If VinBigdata had relied solely on code, it wouldn't have been able to launch ViGPT – the first "Vietnamese version of ChatGPT" for end users. Throughout that journey, the Product Manager was the one who ignited passion and led the team to success.
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| Businesswoman Nguyen Kim Anh, Product Director of VinBigdata |
Finding ways to survive in a fierce market.
For a long time, people working in the technology field have been perceived as somewhat cold and reserved. Working with hundreds of programming commands every day, this dryness and rigidity have perhaps become an "occupational disease" for IT professionals. However, Mr. Nguyen Kim Anh, Product Director of VinBigdata, doesn't think so.
Throughout the interview with the reporter from Investment Newspaper, a smile was always present on the face of this director born in the 1980s. It is this positive energy that has helped VinBigdata accelerate in the fierce AI (artificial intelligence) race.
When the keyword AI is mentioned, Mr. Kim Anh becomes extremely enthusiastic. According to him, the past year has been a boom period for this technology. Look no further than CES 2024 (USA), where AI was integrated into a wide range of products, from televisions and washing machines to computers and robots. Both small startups and large businesses want to miss out on this new trend.
"Although some products may not be highly effective in practice, we should still appreciate such pioneering companies. These ideas will spark new movements and drive the progress of science and technology ," Mr. Kim Anh shared.
Looking back, large language modeling (LLM) – the precursor technology to today's AI chatbots – emerged a decade ago. At that time, many innovative ideas were conceived, but due to hardware limitations, their realization remained out of reach.
Now, the AI trend that we admire so much is the result of the will and ambition of many technology engineers who have not turned their backs on their code.
ViGPT, VinBigdata's latest AI-generated solution, was born in such a context. Although the product launched during the AI boom, it was a plan the company had been nurturing since its inception.
The real turning point came when OpenAI unexpectedly launched ChatGPT. The whole world went "crazy" over the capabilities of this AI chatbot. Many tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, etc., rushed to release similar products to compete, and VinBigdata was no exception.
I was most impressed by the book 'Life Changes When We Change'. We cannot face and handle difficulties with a negative mindset. Therefore, I always see pressure as an opportunity to become more determined and focused. For those working in technology, without pressure, they are more likely to create a product lacking depth. 
- Businesswoman Nguyen Kim Anh
“The AI technology trend is coming very quickly. If we are slow and don't release our products in time, the company will fall behind. Therefore, all VinBigdata employees have poured all their resources and dedication into minimizing the launch time for ViGPT,” Mr. Kim Anh said.
However, the company's team still faced another challenge: finding the key element that would make the product competitive. If ViGPT didn't have unique selling points, the project would be forgotten amidst the countless AI chatbots that have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain. After many tense meetings and sleepless nights, Mr. Kim Anh and his colleagues found the answer to this problem.
“We are not aiming for a ‘one size fits all’ product. Instead, ViGPT focuses on serving the unique requirements of specific customer groups. Businesses can train ViGPT with their internal data, and what they receive will be an AI chatbot that best suits their needs,” the VinBigdata Product Director affirmed.
Furthermore, ViGPT is optimized to accurately and objectively answer specific questions about Vietnam, including regional cultural characteristics, history, tourism , literature, and general health information. Not only that, its operating costs are significantly lower than those of other well-known AI chatbots worldwide. Focusing on a niche market and striving to solve customer problems is ViGPT's trump card in competing with larger competitors.
Finally, on December 27, 2023, ViGPT was introduced to the public. The product received over 25,000 trial registrations and 10,000 users during the 15-day community trial. However, these impressive numbers could not alleviate the concerns that arose in the mind of VinBigdata's Product Director.
“The community’s positive reception is the greatest joy for the development team. However, this also puts pressure on us as people are placing high expectations on ViGPT. The team is planning and developing strategies to further optimize the product,” said Mr. Kim Anh.
In 2024, VinBigdata will continue its journey to perfect ViGPT and move towards commercialization. It is expected that by the end of March 2024, the community version of ViGPT will be released free of charge to non-profit organizations. These organizations will only have to pay for operating costs, at a much more competitive price than other models.
The launch of ViGPT marks the technological mastery of domestic engineers and demonstrates that Vietnamese businesses can independently exploit and protect national data security. In the AI race, as a pioneering enterprise, VinBigdata has faced, is facing, and will continue to face many challenges. However, the market always needs innovators. More than just a chatbot tool, ViGPT is an inspiration for a generation of AI products labeled "made in Vietnam" to expand globally.
Pressure is a positive thing.
Throughout his career, Mr. Kim Anh has always felt proud of Vietnamese technology engineers. Specifically in the field of AI, the domestic workforce is in no way inferior to that of developed countries. At the headquarters of Big Tech companies (the largest technology companies in the US), it's not uncommon to find programmers from Vietnam.
“Universities have begun to focus on and develop more AI-related majors. Students are selected very rigorously. For example, at the Polytechnic University, computer science is the most sought-after major and has very high entrance scores,” Mr. Kim Anh said.
Moreover, businesses in Vietnam are very open to AI. Companies are always ready to take shortcuts and get ahead to close the gap with foreign competitors. This factor gives AI professionals ample opportunity to showcase their skills and freely experiment with new ideas without fear of failure.
"The key is to motivate the team members. If the people creating the product don't believe in what they're doing, the project will be difficult to succeed," Mr. Kim Anh shared.
Behind the product's widespread acceptance lies the tireless work of the programming team. In the increasingly competitive landscape of AI technology, pressure is ever-present. This is where Mr. Kim Anh truly shines as a leader.
According to the Product Director of VinBigdata, a good leader needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each employee. They must know when subordinates are struggling and when breakthroughs are needed to effectively distribute work. Furthermore, the leader themselves must remain calm under pressure. A weary sigh can extinguish the enthusiasm of the entire company.
Just like when looking at AI trends, many people fear they will soon be replaced by machines. However, from Mr. Kim Anh's perspective, this challenge is actually an opportunity. With the strong support of AI, the workforce will now be able to contribute more value to society. Working hours are shortened, but efficiency is higher. This is the true goal that AI products aim for.
Furthermore, the presence of this technology serves as a reminder to workers. No matter how advanced artificial intelligence becomes, it will always lag behind human intelligence. As long as individuals continuously improve their expertise and learn, no machine or AI can take job opportunities away from them. In a constantly changing world, no one will be left behind if everyone shares the determination to move forward.
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