AI and obstacles to Vietnamese businesses

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future trend but a present requirement to increase operational efficiency and business results for enterprises.

Not ready, confused

Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, representative of the AI ​​Center of TMA Technology Group, said that according to a McKinsey & Company report surveying 1,363 enterprises worldwide on AI application, 72% of enterprises have applied this technology in at least 1 department.

However, in Vietnam, surveys show that most businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses, are not ready and are still confused when applying AI.

The reasons are due to not being able to arrange capital and human resources; having difficulty possessing large data from many different sources such as Google Drive, Excel...

"Many small and medium-sized enterprises, when mentioning AI applications, immediately think of very high costs, but in fact, this cost is very small compared to the cost of digital transformation and data analysis.

Enterprises are hesitant to invest in AI applications because they fear that the efficiency will not be high and that this tool must meet the large needs of enterprises while AI needs to be trained to understand enterprise data" - Mr. Tuan Anh analyzed.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Le, representative of MISA Joint Stock Company, stated that 97% of small and medium enterprises in Vietnam encounter problems when applying AI. Firstly, most enterprises store data in many files, divided into many files, making it difficult to control the accuracy of the data while AI needs centralized data for analysis.

Second, when businesses increase in size, AI tools cannot meet the demand and if they invest more, costs will increase, not to mention the difficulty in inheriting data. Third, businesses mostly only use AI for some departments such as accounting, human resources, sales, operations, etc., causing a lack of synchronization in business operations. Finally, businesses have not invested in AI systems due to high costs or if they invest too much without using all the features, it will be a waste.

Businesses learn about devices integrating artificial intelligence. Photo: HOANG TRIEU

According to the owner of a plastic manufacturing company in Ho Chi Minh City, the real benefits of applying AI to business are currently unclear. In addition, to apply this smart technology, it is necessary to invest in training resources and operations.

"The use of AI also poses challenges in data security and integrating AI systems into the current infrastructure of the business," this business owner wondered.

At a recent workshop on AI application in enterprises organized by Quang Trung Software Park, Mr. Phan Tan Quoc, Deputy Director of KPMG Vietnam Innovation Program, commented that the common mentality of many enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, is to be afraid of applying AI due to "fear of being replaced".

"They think that there will come a time when AI will act as a 'CEO' and make humans obsolete. Employees are afraid to use AI for fear of losing their jobs. Especially for businesses with stable annual profits, they lack the motivation to innovate," Mr. Quoc pointed out.

What solutions support?

According to Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Le, to promote businesses to apply AI, it is necessary to widely disseminate to business leaders the benefits that this technology brings. For example, AI can help the accounting department automatically reconcile invoices with invalid information or warn about information that the business has or is in the process of dissolving, thereby helping to make information almost absolutely transparent and ensuring accurate invoices.

AI can also help the sales department analyze customer data to suggest which products and services to recommend to customers to buy or use next...

"Enterprises need to consider the long-term benefits of using AI instead of measuring the initial costs. Applying AI will help businesses grow quickly and sustainably in the current trend. If they hesitate, businesses will be slow," Ms. Le warned.

According to Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, enterprises need to clearly set the goal of applying AI for what purpose, in which field, and for how long, and then build a reasonable roadmap. In addition, to avoid the situation of "stopping halfway" when applying AI, enterprises must build centralized data.

Mr. Hoang Quang Hai, training and management system assessment expert at DNV Business Assurance Vietnam, said that in addition to investing in AI technology, businesses need to build a strict management system according to international standards or researched AI governance frameworks.

This not only helps optimize operational efficiency, easily develop and apply AI step by step, but also protects businesses from risks related to the use or development of this technology.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ai-va-luc-can-voi-doanh-nghiep-viet-196240629195616233.htm