Tech expert points out AI's 'lack of intelligence' and an important reminder

AI (artificial intelligence) is 'shattering' people's work and lives, but AI has limitations that make it only a tool and not a replacement.

That is the opinion of foreign technology experts at the workshop 'AI and the future of careers' organized byFPT University this morning (September 19), within the framework of the technology event Tech4Life Expo & Summit 2025 organized by the Department of Science & Technology of Ho Chi Minh City in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Software and Information Technology Services (VINASA).

3 limitations of AI

At the workshop, Mr. Oscar Lopez Alegre, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, who has lived in Vietnam for about 15 years and worked in the software development industry (CEO of Nextway Technology), shared interesting things.

"Around 2008-2009, I studied AI. At that time, we played with small robots that could move automatically, even turn on the lights. It was very interesting but not easy. In 2015, I worked at IBM. We used AI to automate suggestions for employees, write automatic job descriptions," Oscar said.

Mr. Oscar Lopez Alegre believes that AI has certain limitations, so people must always have critical thinking when using AI.

PHOTO: MY QUYEN

According to Oscar, it was quite similar to what is happening with data analysis now, but the technology was limited at that time. AI is easy to create and easy to learn. "Today, I use AI for everything, including presentations. AI is everywhere, we use it every day, and more and more. It is one of the fastest-adopted products in the history of the internet. However, not everything AI says is true. That is the core message," the CEO acknowledged.

This person gave an example: “Once I asked how many Muslim presidents there are in America? The answer is Barack Obama. But Obama is not Muslim, it is just a disinformation campaign. Such false predictions can cause political problems.

I myself asked how to renew a Spanish passport in Vietnam. The AI ​​replied: it can be done in 'Spain country in Ho Chi Minh City', but Ho Chi Minh City does not have a 'Spain country'! This shows that AI-generated content is not always trustworthy."

From there, Mr. Oscar pointed out the limits of AI. First, there is no real reasoning. AI only gives answers based on statistical probability, not understanding concepts. For example, with “2 + 2 = 4”, it does not understand the number 2 or addition, but only predicts the correct result based on learning from data. Therefore, it cannot be called true intelligence.

The next limitation is that training data has a big influence: If the data is biased, the answers will be biased too. This can cause unfairness, even affecting hiring or firing decisions.

Third is bias. “For example, if you ask an AI to tell a joke about Hispanic people, it’s OK, but if you ask it about black people, it’s blocked. AI shouldn’t be the ‘judge’ of what you can say,” Oscar said.

Therefore, this technology expert believes that people must always have critical thinking and should not believe AI as absolute truth.

"Nowadays, sometimes we rely too much on them. Sometimes we believe completely, and forget that we are human beings, and we have something called critical thinking. I want to remind people that critical thinking is very important, using your brain is very important. Everything is just a tool. You are human. Never forget that. Never forget that you are still the master. If you are not the master, you will be replaced," Mr. Oscar affirmed.

How should university education change?

Present at the workshop, Mr. Tran Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the branch, Head of Training Department, FPT University Branch in Ho Chi Minh City, informed that there will be about 39 core skills of current workers expected to change by 2030 (Future of Jobs Report 2025 - World Economic Forum ).

In addition, about 27-28% of jobs in OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries are currently at high risk of automation due to AI or related technologies.

Mr. Tran Tuan Anh shares about the AI-First model for university education

PHOTO: MY QUYEN

"AI is profoundly changing the labor market in terms of skill requirements and job characteristics. The application of AI in all areas of life is happening rapidly and irreversibly. So what is the choice for university education when businesses are having to retrain or upgrade skills for workers to meet the AI-integrated work process?", Mr. Tuan Anh said.

According to Mr. Tuan Anh, university education is facing unprecedented challenges in preparing graduates for the new context. Therefore, there needs to be a model for university education.

According to Mr. Tuan Anh, the AI-First model may be the appropriate approach in the current context. AI-First is a paradigm-shift with AI being a core element in the process of strategy building, decision making and operations, instead of being considered just a supplementary tool.

Specifically, universities need to use AI in teaching and assessment, personalize learning content and pathways, and deeply integrate AI into training programs. In particular, the training program framework needs to be adjusted, the content of each subject needs to be redesigned with the appropriate level of AI integration, build a scale to measure and evaluate students' AI capacity, and access national and international standards.

"In particular, universities must assess employer needs and analyze changes in work processes to determine which skills are important and which skills are no longer necessary. From there, build a competency framework according to job positions," Mr. Tuan Anh shared.

All of the above, according to Mr. Tuan Anh, aims to train students to become workers with solid foundational knowledge, in-depth understanding of the field and interdisciplinary; have thinking skills (critical, systematic, creative) and problem-solving; have social skills, ethics and lifelong learning. At the same time, have an entrepreneurial spirit, not to open a business, but to be able to adapt quickly to changes in technology and the working environment.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-gia-cong-nghe-chi-ra-su-thieu-tri-tue-cua-ai-va-loi-nhac-quan-trong-18525091915433146.htm