(MPI) - Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung affirmed that the Ministry of Planning and Investment will support and advise on mechanisms and policies to develop the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, making Vietnam one of the leading centers for AI research and application in the region.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung speaks at the event. Photo: MPI

He made his speed while attending the workshop “Shaping Vietnam’s AI future” in Hanoi on November 15, which is organised by the National Innovation Center (NIC), under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in collaboration with Google, aiming to harness the potential of AI and exchange mechanisms and policies for AI development in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Trung said that NIC has collaborated with domestic and international partners and experts to establish an AI Training, Research, and Application Center to foster its enterprises development, support AI research and application, and provide in-depth AI training.

By 2030, the goal is to train 7,000 AI experts to international standards and nurture about 500 AI startups. These steps are proactive measures by the ministry to realize the goal of Vietnam soon becoming a center for innovation and developing AI solutions in the ASEAN region and globally, he emphasised.

Deputy Minister Trung highly appreciated the cooperation between Google and the NIC in organising the working, suggesting discussion to focus on AI potential, necessary mechanisms and policies for AI development in Vietnam. He also pledged that the MPI will always support and accompany this development.

Photo: MPI

Andrew Ure, Google Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for Southeast Asia, stated that Vietnam possesses potentials to develop AI. With a young, tech-savvy population and a dynamic digital landscape, Vietnam is well-positioned to capitalize on AI opportunities.

Ure expressed his pleasure in cooperating with NIC to introduce the first AI Policy & Skilling Lab to Vietnam. He emphasized Google’s importance to collaborate with the Vietnamese Sovernment, ministries, and research organizations to build an AI-based future that minimizes risks and benefits everyone.

According to Google’s research on Vietnam’s digital economy, by 2030, the annual economic impact of digital technology in Vietnam could reach 1,733 trillion VND (equivalent to 74 billion USD), with a significant contribution from AI in digital economic sectors. Thundermark Capital's research places Vietnam and Singapore among the top 30 global representatives in AI research.

Google’s report also analyses strategies to narrow the digital and AI knowledge gap, helping the Vietnamese workforce effectively leverage AI and boost economic growth.

To maximize AI’s transformative potential, Vietnam should focus on retaining and developing domestic talent by expanding access to digital education and enhancing enterprise training programs. To maximize economic benefits from AI, Vietnam needs to prioritize developing a digital workforce. Bridging the digital skills gap through intensive training and technology application will unlock significant economic potential for the country.

Additionally, the report quantifies Google's current contribution to supporting businesses, households, and the workforce in Vietnam through various AI-integrated Google products and services like Google Search, Google Ads, Google AdSense, Google Play, and YouTube; Google Cloud, Google Workspace.../.

Bao Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment