On September 22, the Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day 2023 (AI4VN) with the theme “Power for Life” officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City. The event was directed by the Ministry of Science and Technology , organized by VnExpress newspaper in coordination with the Club of Faculties - Institutes - Schools of Information and Communication Technology (FISU).

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat. Photo: Thanh Tung

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat, Minister of Science and Technology, said that AI has become one of the key technologies of the 4.0 industrial revolution, receiving more and more attention and investment and is contributing to change and strongly promoting the economic and social development of countries. Recently, AI has shown remarkable development, with many products and applications based on this technology being born, attracting the attention of the community, especially artificial intelligence products.

In Vietnam, on January 26, 2021, the Prime Minister issued a Decision on the "National Strategy on Research, Development and Application of Artificial Intelligence to 2030". The Strategy sets out the goal of "promoting research, development and application of artificial intelligence, making artificial intelligence an important technology field of Vietnam in the 4th Industrial Revolution", contributing to economic and social development and gradually making Vietnam a bright spot in research, development and application of AI in the region and the world.

According to Minister Huynh Thanh Dat , after more than two years of implementing the AI ​​Strategy, Vietnam has achieved some very encouraging initial results. This result was reflected in the report "Government AI Readiness Index" conducted by Oxford Insights in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Research Center. In 2022, Vietnam ranked 55th out of 181 countries ranked in the world, up 7 places compared to 2021.

Minister Huynh Thanh Dat said that in the coming time, Vietnam will continue to prepare a team of AI human resources to contribute to promoting the development of a sustainable AI ecosystem, aiming to achieve the goal of making Vietnam a center for innovation, developing AI solutions and applications in the ASEAN region and the world.

Notably, at the event, representatives of the consulates of various countries shared many things about the development of AI technology in the coming time, including their readiness to cooperate with Vietnam to promote the development of this technology.

Ms. Emily Hamblin, British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the UK has put forward a strategy to prioritize the development of five key technology areas, including AI. According to her, AI will continue to develop breakthroughs in the coming time, and at the same time, this technology will bring opportunities for businesses, governments and the public sector.

Ms. Emily Hamblin, Consulate General of the United Kingdom in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thanh Tung

Assessing the development of AI in Vietnam, Ms. Emily Hamblin shared that after visiting the exhibition booths at the event, it is possible to see the development of the Vietnamese technology industry in the field of AI, with the participation of many businesses and this technology has had a strong impact on all aspects, from the Government, public administration to trade, healthcare, and education.

However, she said that despite its advantages, AI also brings more complex risks, requiring countries to balance development with ethics and management. Among them, ethical barriers will affect user trust, in addition to data and market barriers.

Mr. Graham Harlow, Acting Consul General of the United States in Ho Chi Minh City, also said that recently, Vietnam and the US have had the opportunity to promote AI technology of both sides. Microsoft and Trusting Social cooperate to develop a comprehensive AI-based solution suitable for Vietnam. Nvidia joins hands with FPT, Viettel and VinGroup to deploy AI in the cloud, automobiles and healthcare.

Mr. Graham Harlow, Acting Consul General of the United States in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thanh Tung

"The State Department and US businesses will continue to cooperate with countries, including Vietnam, to establish an international framework for managing, developing, and using AI globally," said Mr. Graham Harlow.

According to the Acting Consul General of the United States in Ho Chi Minh City, AI is the center of the global technological revolution in the coming time and many advances of this technology have been applied in medicine, education, etc. However, he said that there must be standards for the development and use of AI responsibly. At the same time, through joint research, AI needs to improve work efficiency rather than control humans. There needs to be a set of principles for AI development, in which humans are the center and countries need to promote responsible AI development.

Mr. Yang Ki Sung, Counselor for Science, Information Technology and Communications, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam also shared that Vietnam is emerging as a competitive country in AI development, and cooperation between Korea and Vietnam to bring this technology into daily life will create success in the future.

Mr. Yang Ki Sung, Counselor for Science, Information Technology and Communications, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Tung

Representative of the Australian science and technology agency, Mr. Kim Wimbush, CSIRO Counselor and Director of the Aus4Innovation program, affirmed that Australia is always ready to cooperate on AI with Vietnam, especially in the fields of health care, medicine, environmental management, as well as smart agricultural development.

However, Mr. Kim Wimbush also admitted that AI brings challenges and risks, so it is important to set rules for using AI to make it more trustworthy.

He added that Australia has many activities and voices in the international arena in the field of AI, and will be ready to support Vietnam in developing this technology as well as connecting Vietnam with networks in Asia.

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