Vietnam now ranks 21st globally in terms of the development of artificial intelligence (AI), which is expected to contribute 12% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Many local digital firms have stayed abreast of AI development trends in the world and introduced several high-quality products.
According to a press release, among these are AI cameras, developed based on Vietnam’s Open AI View technology. They have recently been shipped to the United States, proving that Vietnamese technology products boast the confidence of international players. It also opens up opportunities for Vietnam to build a national brand for AI products.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, apps like Bluezone and CoMeet were open-source or developed with open-source software. The country also launched the national open data portal, which has registered over 10,000 data sets. Vietnam’s 5G network will use the open standard Open RAN. Vietnam has chosen to develop open technology, open-source software, and open data for individuals and businesses to join the creation of new values.
The development of AI depends largely on open sources and Vietnam is still new to the field. An enabling ecosystem with open sources that are accessible for every player is, therefore, necessary for the country to develop AI products. Such open sources are expected to foster bonds among players in the AI field, making them go further and faster in the digital era. For open sources to be introduced successfully, however, state authorities must introduce appropriate mechanisms and policies.
According to industry experts, AI in Vietnam is only in the early stages and still has plenty of room for development with proper attention given to open sources. Nearly 3 million organisations and businesses from 70 countries have joined the open-source community. 35 out of 50 top companies in the world sent their teams to participate in the open-source projects in the forum. Vietnam ranks third in Southeast Asia and is among the top 20 in the world in open-source applications, after Singapore (17), and Malaysia (18).
Vietnam began approaching the open technology trend early in the 2000s, but it is still behind some countries, which is attributed to the closed culture, the localisation of data, and lack of interest from large corporations.
In November, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) organised the Vietnam Open Summit. OpenGov Asia reported on the event, which gathered 200 participants, including senior officials of ministries and agencies, as well as IT experts from large high-tech corporations.
The nation has been on its digital ambitions that are well articulated in its National Digital Transformation Programme. Strategies have been put in place to ensure Vietnam’s digital economy accounts for 20% of the nation’s GDP. By 2025, Vietnam aims to be one of the 50 leading countries for IT development. By 2030, it targets to be among the 30 leading IT countries in the world, universalise fibre and 5G cables, have 100,000 digital technology businesses, and have a workforce of 1.5 million people trained in digital technology.
