Artificial intelligence and digital transformation strategies of Vietnamese press offices

At the beginning, Master Dao Trung Thanh, Deputy Director of the Institute of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (ABAII), and also the moderator of the discussion session, affirmed that digital transformation is no longer an option, but a condition for the survival of newsrooms in the technology era. In the context that AI not only changes the way of writing but also shapes the behavior of receiving and distributing information, the Vietnamese press needs to establish for itself a clear, flexible and responsible direction.

The press is putting the wrong focus on AI!

In his speech, Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS), presented the results of a practical survey on the level of AI application in Vietnamese press agencies, and proposed a roadmap for using AI effectively, appropriately and responsibly.

Accordingly, he pointed out that the application rate has increased sharply but is still fragmented: IPS's survey (in collaboration with the Vietnam Journalists Association and the Vietnam Digital Communications Association) showed that the rate of press agencies that have applied AI or have plans to apply it has doubled compared to 2023, reaching more than 60% in 2024.

However, most of the current AI applications still focus on content production stages such as: Suggesting, editing titles and summarizing information, editing, spell checking, creating images/ videos or translating.

One point worth noting is that the application of AI to further research activities or to serve business problems and analyze reader behavior is very low. This shows that the focus is mainly on the individual role of journalists, instead of the strategic direction of the entire newsroom.

Mr. Dong pointed out three major issues that are affecting the effectiveness of AI application in Vietnamese press agencies, including: Misplaced focus on AI application (overemphasizing tools, less attention to processes); lack of strategy and overall approach at the organizational level; lack of financial resources and specialized personnel. Therefore, press agencies need to approach AI in a comprehensive and strategic way.

"Newsrooms need to have an overall application strategy, technology investment strategy, and clear internal policies," the expert emphasized.

The Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Media Development also noted the issue of risk management and ethics in the use of AI. Mr. Dong emphasized the need for the Vietnam Journalists Association to issue a set of rules for the responsible use of AI for the entire industry.

Master technology, control data

Following Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong's presentation, Mr. Dao Quang Binh - General Secretary of VnEconomy newspaper - shared practical experiences in building and applying localized AI solutions in journalism, from content production, content personalization and improving interaction efficiency with Vietnamese readers.

According to Mr. Binh, VnEconomy has recognized the importance of digital transformation and AI application early. His economic newspaper with two main languages, Vietnamese and English, has invested heavily in building a new generation content management platform (CMS) developed by Hemera, ready to integrate AI.

A special point in VnEconomy's strategy is to develop its own exclusive AI models, instead of relying entirely on generative AI tools like ChatGPT.

Notably, Mr. Binh said that most of the difficulties in applying AI to newsrooms, as reported by the survey of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS) and the Vietnam Journalists Association, have been resolved at VnEconomy, especially the story about fake news. Because all the data used by VnEconomy's AI system is internal data of the newsroom, strictly controlled.

“Every article is generated solely based on existing data and newly provided documents, without relying on any content from large language models like ChatGPT. Thanks to that, we eliminate the risk of fake news from the beginning. At the same time, AI-powered articles always carry the style and viewpoint of the editorial office, ensuring consistency and unique identity,” said Mr. Dao Quang Binh.

AI is not a piece of jewelry

After the presentations, the open discussion session that followed attracted particular public attention.

Frankly stating his opinion, Mr. Le Anh Dung, Technology Director of Got It Vietnam, said that AI is not an ornament, but a tool that must operate well to be effective. From practical implementation, Mr. Dung believes that the press can completely apply AI to many stages of the information production process.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Founder of Baomoi.com, emphasized the importance of integrating AI into the content distribution process. According to him, the ability to analyze user behavior and suggest appropriate news articles helps Baomoi.com maintain engagement with young readers, who are very likely to "switch channels" in the online environment.

"AI does not replace humans, but if properly integrated, it will help editors make faster, smarter decisions," said Mr. Tuan.

The sharing at the forum all affirmed that AI is opening up great opportunities for the press but also poses many challenges in terms of management, professional ethics and business models. Successful digital transformation is not just about applying technology, but must be a comprehensive strategy, focusing on people and journalistic values.

As readers’ information access behavior changes, the journalism business model needs to be reshaped. AI may be an extension, but the core values of journalism must remain: reliability, authenticity, and strong political will.

PV GROUP

Source: https://nhandan.vn/intelligence-and-the-revolution-of-digital-policies-of-vietnamese-newspapers-post888353.html