Shaping the future of AI in Vietnam

On this occasion, Google also collaborated with the National Innovation Center (NIC) – Ministry of Planning and Investment to launch the "Building the Future of AI in Vietnam" program.

Building on the success of the annual Think Games and Think Apps events since 2021, this year's program places a special emphasis on supporting Vietnamese game and app developers in leveraging AI to drive innovation, creativity, business growth, and breakthroughs.

Attending the event, Ms. Emily Nguyen – Business Director of Gaming & Apps for Vietnam, Google Asia -Pacific , shared: “The Gaming & Apps industry in Vietnam maintains exceptional growth, affirming its position as the fastest-growing market in the world. This industry is increasingly making significant contributions to the country's high-value export sector. Google is playing a pioneering role in promoting the development and innovation of the gaming and apps industry in Vietnam. Through the latest AI technology and comprehensive support programs from the very beginning, we aim to empower local developers to build high-quality applications, reach a global audience, and achieve sustainable business growth.”

According to data.ai's 2023 report, Vietnam's app and game development industry continues to maintain its impressive position, ranking fourth globally for the past two years. This ranking is confirmed by its exceptional growth rate – a 34% increase in total app downloads, surpassing 5.6 billion downloads. Furthermore, Vietnam also holds the title of " World's Fastest Growing App Market" with impressive download growth – increasing by 40% annually for the past five years. This trend continued in 2023, with a surge exceeding 1.1 billion downloads, equivalent to 10,708 "Made-in-Vietnam" apps being downloaded every minute. Four developers broke the 100 million download mark in 2023, including ABI, Bravestars, Higame, and iKame.

Vietnamese app developers are demonstrating a strategic shift towards quality and revenue. Since 2023, revenue from in-app purchases (IAPs) has increased significantly by 21%, reaching $200 million. This trend underscores the focus on designing high-value experiences to generate sustainable revenue. Furthermore, Vietnam's software and IT services industry had strong export earnings of $3.5 billion in 2023, with a stable annual growth rate of 15%.

Audience members and experts discuss at the Think Apps 2024 event.

Within the framework of the event, in the small panel discussions, experts and representatives of domestic and foreign businesses operating in the field related to artificial intelligence (AI) presented many noteworthy analyses. Accordingly, despite impressive growth, Vietnam is currently ranked 28th globally in terms of in-app purchase revenue. This shows that there are still many opportunities for further growth. The Vietnamese game and application development industry is also facing many challenges in integrating artificial intelligence (AI). These challenges include: (1) A shortage of AI experts and high-quality training programs, hindering the development of AI talent; (2) Limitations in accessing mentorship and guidance from leading AI companies, creating obstacles in evaluating and building highly competitive AI-powered products in the market; (3) Lack of readily available infrastructure for rapid testing, verification and development of AI-related products.

With a comprehensive suite of solutions, from AI tools to practical training programs, Google AI will support Vietnamese developers and foster innovation. This holistic approach is structured around three main pillars: Creating for Quality; Creating for Increased Revenue; and Creating for Sustainability. This year's program focuses on the advantages that AI can bring to revolutionize the development and promotion of applications, as well as providing many specific, real-world examples of the success of Vietnamese developers in the global application industry.

Earlier on the morning of July 11th, Google also collaborated with the National Innovation Center (NIC) – Ministry of Planning and Investment to launch the “Building the Future of AI in Vietnam” program, a comprehensive initiative aimed at promoting the development of AI in Vietnam.

This initiative focuses on two main pillars: Empowering Talent and Empowering Businesses. Each pillar addresses key areas to support the development of Vietnam's human resources, nurture its thriving startup ecosystem, and strengthen the foundation for maximizing AI adoption.

The "Creating Talent" pillar is the Digital Talent Development Program, which provides 40,000 scholarships across 10 courses, including the newly launched Google AI Essentials course, to equip young Vietnamese people with the latest AI skills. This includes many officials, lecturers, and students from over 80 universities and colleges nationwide. This program is an upgraded version of the Digital Talent Development program launched by Google and NIC in July 2022. To date, the program has equipped 60,000 working-age individuals in Vietnam with essential digital skills.

“Building Vietnam’s AI Future” marks a significant new chapter in Google’s long-term commitment to supporting Vietnam’s digital transformation. This initiative aligns with the National Strategy for Research, Development, and Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) until 2030, underscoring Google’s commitment to supporting Vietnam’s digital transformation.

According to Mr. Tran Duy Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, the "Building Vietnam's AI Future with Google – NIC" program is the result of close cooperation between the Ministry of Planning and Investment through the National Innovation Center and Google. This program demonstrates the strong commitment and support of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and Google in promoting the AI ​​ecosystem in Vietnam, equipping human resources with the necessary skills to seize the opportunities of the AI ​​era, and supporting innovative startups based on AI technology.

Attending the event, Marc Woo – Managing Director, Google Asia Pacific, Vietnam – also expressed optimism: “Vietnam’s digital economy is projected to grow elevenfold by 2030, reaching an incredible $220 billion, equivalent to nearly half of Vietnam’s current GDP. AI is one of the key factors in realizing this forecast. Together with NIC, we believe that the “Building the Future of AI in Vietnam” initiative will be a solid launching pad for local talents, startups, and businesses, helping them to fully utilize Google’s best AI products and solutions.”

Source: https://nhandan.vn/think-apps-2024-kien-tao-tuong-lai-ai-viet-nam-post818811.html