Conference on Data Applications and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

On the morning of April 21st, in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province held a conference on the application of data and artificial intelligence (AI) for governance and sustainable development in Quang Ninh province. Attending the conference were: Mr. Vu Dai Thang, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Bui The Duy, Alternate Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology; Ms. Trinh Thi Minh Thanh, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; Mr. Pham Duc An, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and Mr. Vu Quyet Tien, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. The conference was held in person and online, connecting to various locations throughout the province.

A view of the conference.

In his opening remarks at the conference, Mr. Pham Duc An, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, emphasized that Quang Ninh has always been a shining example and a leader in administrative reform, technological infrastructure development, and the construction of e-government and digital government. However, alongside these initial achievements, Quang Ninh province is also facing numerous challenges, such as: a shortage of high-quality human resources in AI; scattered and unconnected data; outdated shared infrastructure platforms; the lack of a centralized large data warehouse and inefficient exploitation of data resources in various fields; and the fact that tools supporting leadership and management have only reached the stage of implementing a centralized electronic document exchange system, lacking an intelligent operating system that applies artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to management, administration, supervision, and decision-making.

Comrade Vu Dai Thang, Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Head of the Provincial Delegation of National Assembly Deputies, delivered the concluding remarks at the conference.

Therefore, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee hopes that through this conference, Quang Ninh province will receive valuable contributions and insightful sharing from leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology, scientists , experts, and businesses on the strategy for developing science and technology, innovation, and the role of data and artificial intelligence in the digital transformation process. This will enable Quang Ninh province to build an effective, synchronized, and long-term data strategy, serving as a basis for reviewing and updating the national data strategy, implementing the construction of specialized databases, with a focus on prioritizing the completion of databases for land, construction, finance, insurance, businesses, labor and employment, etc.; and digitizing processes, documents, and results of administrative procedures in areas related to citizens and businesses.

In particular, we will promote the application of AI in the leadership and management of the province and at the grassroots level; its application in the fields of border gates, tourism, healthcare, education, justice, land, natural resources and environment, transportation, agriculture , and smart urban management. We will develop mechanisms and policies to cultivate high-quality digital human resources to meet the requirements of integration and competition.

Comrade Bui The Duy, Alternate Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, delivered a speech at the conference.

Sharing experiences at the conference, leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology, scientists, and experts spent considerable time discussing AI in serving citizens, businesses, and local governments; essential resources for AI; Vietnam's leading position in AI within ASEAN; how AI can improve the performance of civil servants; the AI ​​deployment strategy for Quang Ninh province; and practical steps for implementing AI in Quang Ninh province…

Ms. Laura Nguyen, CEO of Gen AI Fund and Country Director of Ava Labs in Vietnam, shared: Quang Ninh province needs to establish a provincial AI task force soon, creating a specialized group to oversee AI strategy and governance, develop an AI knowledge database, and collaborate with AI startups to accelerate AI adoption in the province. Simultaneously, an internal AI innovation competition should be organized for civil servants and public employees; and practical AI projects should be identified for immediate implementation.

Professor Ho Tu Bao, Director of the Data Science Laboratory at the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Studies in Mathematics (VIASM), shared: According to the new model, the government now only has two levels (provincial and commune), so the application of science and technology, digital transformation, data warehousing, and artificial intelligence is truly necessary. These technologies will help civil servants easily connect different departments when there are no longer intermediate levels and the number of civil servants is shrinking; at the same time, it will help manage information, documents, and data on land, resources, population, medicine, and education more easily. From shared data from the province to the commune, AI helps civil servants in the province easily synthesize and draft documents, or helps leaders easily analyze and draw more accurate conclusions.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Comrade Vu Dai Thang, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, affirmed: The reality shows that AI does not replace humans; rather, those who know how to effectively use AI tools will gradually replace those who do not know how to utilize them. Therefore, all cadres, Party members, civil servants, and public employees throughout the province, regardless of their position, need to be aware of their responsibility to self-learn and improve their digital capabilities; if we cannot master data and do not know how to apply AI to our daily work, then we are falling behind.

The comrade requested the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department and the Provincial People's Committee Party Committee to direct the vigorous implementation of the "Digital Literacy Program for the People" - a practical action program to popularize understanding of data, digital technology, and artificial intelligence among cadres, Party members, workers, and the people, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital transformation.

Comrade Pham Duc An, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, delivered a speech at the conference.

The comrade suggested that digital technology businesses, software companies, platforms, and members of the Provincial Business Association proactively connect with state agencies to propose and provide solutions and models for applying AI and digital data to serve administrative reform and improve labor productivity; coordinate the implementation of practical training programs for officials and civil servants, especially in the use of AI tools, data management, and information security; accompany the "Digital Literacy Program" to expand the training network and raise digital awareness among the business community and the people; participate in policy critique and contribute to the province's major orientations on data and AI development, innovation, and the digital economy.

Simultaneously, he requested that Party committees, governments, and heads of agencies and units focus on implementing tasks and solutions in a coordinated manner, enhancing the capacity to apply data tools, data analysis, and AI to support work; innovating leadership methods and management approaches; and incorporating data indicators and AI capabilities into performance evaluations and cadre assessments. The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee, along with the Provincial Party Organization Department, directed relevant agencies and units to propose mechanisms, policies, and tasks related to science and technology, innovation, data, and artificial intelligence for immediate implementation in 2025.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy shared: "I highly appreciate the proactive spirit of Quang Ninh province in early access to and deployment of AI applications in serving governance and sustainable development. The large and serious participation in the conference at the central venue and online locations shows that the province's officials and employees are very focused on accessing AI and the need to use AI in handling work, especially in the context of the whole country implementing a two-tiered government model."

Delegates launched the "Popular Education Movement".

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, affirmed: After this conference, the unit will actively advise the province on issuing leadership and guidance documents, and synchronously implement solutions to concretize Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo; at the same time, advise and propose the issuance of mechanisms and policies to promote digital transformation and the application of science and technology, especially in the deployment of AI application models and digital data to serve administrative reform and develop AI human resources; launch a self-learning and self-research movement among civil servants and public employees to effectively and practically implement AI, achieving high efficiency in handling assigned and responsibilities.

Mr. Nguyen Gia Long, Acting Head of the System Management and Application Development Department, Provincial Public Service Center, said: "In a short time, having accessed information about AI applications shared by experts and scientists, I fully understand the meaning and importance of AI in the current innovation and digital transformation process. After the conference, I, along with the officials and employees in the agency, will focus on researching, learning, honing experience, and implementing AI into the practical work assigned, especially in simplifying administrative procedures, ensuring interconnectedness and comprehensiveness down to the commune and ward levels, and serving citizens and businesses more effectively."

Also at the conference, Quang Ninh province organized the launching ceremony of the "Digital Literacy Movement," in which departments and agencies must take practical action; the Vietnam Fatherland Front and political and social organizations must become the core force in bringing digital knowledge to the people; each official and civil servant must be a pioneering example in learning, practicing, and spreading digital skills not only for themselves but also for the community; and each citizen must actively participate in learning and training, transforming digital skills into essential life skills in the new era.

Manh Truong

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/hoi-nghi-ung-dung-du-lieu-va-tri-tue-nhan-tao-ai-3354378.html