Vietnamese businesses are ready to apply AI, boosting the cloud industry to reach $1.5 billion.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - While ready to participate, transforming AI from an experimental model into a real business solution is no easy task. Below are the three biggest challenges that experts warn about.

The race to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating significant pressure on data processing infrastructure. This is considered a key growth driver for the cloud computing market in Vietnam, which is projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2030.

Cloud infrastructure is attracting significant investment thanks to AI.

The latest report from the Vietnam Data and Cloud Computing Center shows that the domestic cloud market is maintaining impressive growth momentum at an average rate of 16% per year. The main driving force comes from the digital transformation process and the widespread penetration of AI into business life.

Statistics show that up to 93% of businesses in Vietnam have applied at least one AI tool in their operational activities, typically in communication and customer engagement.

As the need shifts from testing to mass deployment, businesses are forced to seek AI Cloud platforms capable of providing flexible resources, rather than incurring the costly investment in individual hardware infrastructure.

Recognizing this trend, domestic technology companies are aggressively restructuring to seize opportunities. A prime example is VNG, which recently announced a strategy to merge its VNG Cloud and GreenNode divisions, consolidating all its traditional cloud capabilities and AI cloud infrastructure into a single platform to optimize resources.

Mr. Kelly Wong, CEO of VNG (Photo: Tri Tuc).

Despite the enormous market potential, implementing AI into businesses is far from simple. Kelly Wong, CEO of VNG, believes the current challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in ensuring stable operations and risk management. He points out three major "bottlenecks" that businesses must overcome during this transformation.

First, there's the challenge of data availability, specifically whether the data is centralized and large enough to train AI, and who controls it. Next, there's the process barrier, as ingrained operational methods need restructuring to adapt to the new technological landscape. The final difficulty lies in the human element: how to ensure the workforce not only knows how to use the tools but also understands the impacts and downsides of AI to effectively manage risks.

The trend of investing in "green" digital infrastructure.

On a regional level, AI Cloud is becoming an attractive destination for foreign investment. In the first half of 2024 alone, Southeast Asia attracted over $30 billion in AI infrastructure. According to forecasts by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), AI and GenAI (generated AI) could contribute approximately $120 billion to the GDP of the ASEAN-6 group by 2027.

However, this boom also places significant pressure on energy consumption. Training and operating AI models consumes enormous amounts of electricity, forcing infrastructure providers to address the challenge of sustainable development.

Current trends show that businesses are prioritizing data center partners that meet ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria. This aims to achieve a dual goal: ensuring processing performance at a reasonable cost while minimizing negative environmental impact.

Experts believe that the AI ​​Cloud market in Vietnam still has significant growth potential. Domestic businesses proactively expanding their infrastructure capabilities not only diversifies market options but also helps reduce dependence on foreign platforms in the digital age.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/doanh-nghiep-viet-san-sang-ung-dung-ai-thuc-day-nganh-cloud-dat-15-ty-usd-20251217084701004.htm