AI and the golden opportunity for Vietnam to break through in the digital age

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global socio-economic landscape, becoming a decisive factor in national status. Vietnam aims to be among the top 4 ASEAN countries and the world’s top 50 in AI by 2030. To do so, the semiconductor industry must work hand in hand with AI to realize this aspiration. However, for AI to both break through creatively and ensure safety, a synchronous legal corridor is an urgent requirement.

Semiconductors and AI - strategic alliance for the digital age

The high-tech development orientation emphasizes the close connection between the semiconductor industry and other technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI). If AI is considered the "brain" of the digital age, then semiconductors are the "heart" that provides the enormous computing power for that brain to operate. These two fields, one is physical infrastructure, the other is software power, when combined, will create a strategic technology platform to help Vietnam proactively rise in the global value chain.

According to Prof. Dr. Ho Tu Bao - Director of the Data Science Laboratory, Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, the four pillars that Vietnam possesses to develop AI include: young human resources, digital infrastructure being promoted, a market of more than 100 million people and a policy system that has been clearly oriented through national resolutions and strategies. "Vietnam's strength is a very large young force, and we are promoting the training of this force to be ready to master technology" - Prof. Dr. Ho Tu Bao emphasized.

From a business perspective, Mr. Nguyen The Duy - Founder of ADT company said that AI has penetrated into all activities, from customer care, content creation to operational optimization. The emergence of open source models such as Llama 3 (large language model) allows Vietnamese businesses to quickly customize products, reduce costs and be more proactive in technology. That is a significant advantage in the global race, where deployment speed can determine success or failure.

Wide application but not deep - gap that needs to be filled by law

According to international reports, Vietnam currently ranks second in the world in terms of AI acceptance index (2023) and is among the leading groups in ASEAN in terms of application speed. It is estimated that AI can contribute an additional 90 - 110 billion USD to GDP if exploited effectively. These are promising numbers, but the actual implementation shows an incomplete picture. Prof. Dr. Ho Tu Bao frankly said: "The application is wide but not really deep. Most of it is still at the initial level, except for large corporations that have applied it for a long time."

Another reason is that both branches of AI have not been simultaneously and comprehensively exploited, including Generative AI - technology to create new content, support creativity and personalize experiences, and Analytical AI - processing big data, detecting patterns, forecasting trends and supporting decision-making at the strategic level.

According to experts, if we only focus on trend-driven generative AI and ignore analytical AI, which is the backbone of large systems, the economy will lack the data foundation to make accurate and long-term decisions.

In addition, data quality is also an issue that needs to be mentioned. AI is only smart when it is "fed" with correct - sufficient - clean data. Meanwhile, data in Vietnam is still scattered, lacking unified standards and a secure sharing mechanism. The final problem is the initial investment cost. Although the cost of using AI has decreased significantly compared to before, investing in computing infrastructure, storage and model training on a large scale is still a big barrier for small and medium enterprises.

In fact, the European Union, where the AI ​​Act has been enacted, shows that a clear legal framework can both encourage innovation and control risks. Regulations on operational transparency, training data sources and safety standards are important lessons that Vietnam can refer to and adjust to suit domestic practical conditions.

The fundamental solution is strong internal strength and deep cooperation.

To achieve the goal of entering the top 4 in ASEAN and the top 50 in the world in AI by 2030, Vietnam needs to synchronously deploy many groups of solutions, in which the legal corridor plays a central role in connecting resources.

First of all, experts believe that the need to develop specialized legal documents on AI is an urgent requirement. It is necessary to classify risks according to their level and clearly define the responsibilities of suppliers, users and management agencies. Applying the principle of data transparency and publicizing the operation of large AI models will help create trust for society and the business community.

Next, to lay the foundation for AI to operate effectively and avoid errors, it is necessary to complete national infrastructure and data. The national data center needs to be completed soon, along with a mechanism for sharing data between ministries, branches, localities and businesses, ensuring the standards of "correct - sufficient - clean - alive".

At the same time, it is necessary to support small and medium enterprises and startups to access AI technology through preferential tax and credit policies, as well as developing shared AI platforms to reduce initial investment costs. This is the desire of the business community, especially in the context of increasingly fierce global competition.

Finally, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation. As Professor Ho Tu Bao emphasized: "We must promote internal strength, and international cooperation is the way to increase internal strength. Attracting large technology corporations such as NVIDIA Corporation to invest in Vietnam not only brings capital and technology, but also opens up opportunities to participate more deeply in the global AI network."

AI and semiconductors, if guided by a smart and appropriate legal framework, will help Vietnam make a breakthrough, not only catching up but also surpassing the global technology race. Vietnam possesses the "heavenly time, favorable terrain, and favorable people" conditions to make a leap forward. But the opportunity, if not seized by timely and decisive action, will quickly pass.

The legal framework is not to constrain innovation, but to guide, protect and encourage innovation. When the legal framework is strong enough, data is standardized and shared, businesses are empowered, and human resources are well trained, AI will truly become a strategic driving force, helping Vietnam enter the digital age with a solid position. This is the time to act - if we do not want to miss the "golden opportunity" of the era.

According to Economic and Urban Newspaper

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/ai-va-co-hoi-vang-de-viet-nam-but-pha-trong-ky-nguyen-so-197251019190920487.htm