Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said automation and AI were going to replace workers at factories in the coming ‘fourth’ industrial revolution.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh

During the conference about training highly-skilled workforce, Anh said that they must boost investment, exploit all resources effectively and gradually move from cheap labour into a more skilled force. The Ministry of Industry and Trade manages major industrial and economic zones, contributing to 70% of the country's GDP.

The economic sector is forecast to be greatly affected by the new industrial revolution.

"In the coming industrial revolution, workers with simple jobs at the factories will be replaced by robots with high artificial intelligence. Humans will only monitor and operate the systems and that needs skills and knowledge that can't be replaced by robots," he said.

According to Anh, the government must consider the impacts from various free trade agreements if Vietnam aims to be a global supplier of a skilled workforce. It should also use more technology in regular works.

Anh said, "The government has directed agencies to carry out research about the impacts and potential of the revolution."

In May 2017, the prime minister issued Directive 16 about improving the country's ability, setting up short and long-term goals and tasks for each department. State agencies must also be more proactive.

Dtinews/Lao Dong