Vietnam must strengthen technology and data sovereignty, develop AI responsibly and build a skilled workforce as the global race for artificial intelligence accelerates.
The global race for artificial intelligence is intensifying, creating three urgent priorities for Vietnam: technological and data sovereignty, safe and responsible AI development and deployment, and a workforce capable of mastering and governing the technology.
On August 14, the Academy of Cryptography Techniques held the national scientific conference “Artificial Intelligence for Cryptography and Information Security (AI4CRIS),” bringing together government officials, scientists, experts, universities, research institutes and technology companies working in artificial intelligence, cryptography and information security.
Quantum technology poses an urgent challenge to public-key cryptography
Opening the conference, Lt. Gen. Vu Ngoc Thiem, head of the Government Cipher Committee, highlighted the dual nature of artificial intelligence in the digital era.
AI can support the design, testing and optimization of cryptographic algorithms and provide early warnings of cyberattacks. At the same time, it can accelerate cryptanalysis, make side-channel attacks more effective, or even be turned against the very systems it is intended to protect if it is not sufficiently reliable.
Lt. Gen. Vu Ngoc Thiem, head of the Government Cipher Committee, says AI offers enormous opportunities but also creates unprecedented challenges for protecting data, securing systems and safeguarding national interests. Photo: Hoa Tran
In particular, the rapid development of quantum technology is creating an urgent challenge for public-key cryptographic algorithms, with potentially far-reaching implications for telecommunications, finance and national digital infrastructure.
“Falling behind in adopting technology in this field would mean risking long-term disadvantages in our ability to protect state secrets and strategic data, as information encrypted today could be stored and decrypted in the future once sufficiently powerful quantum computers become available,” Thiem said.
“Research and a gradual transition toward post-quantum cryptography are therefore matters of cryptographic sovereignty and national security in the digital era.”
Vietnam has approved a project to develop quantum-resistant cryptographic systems for the 2026-2035 period, marking a strategic step toward strengthening information security capabilities and safeguarding national digital sovereignty.
AI development requires an entire ecosystem
Speakers at the conference said that given the rapid advances in AI and quantum technology, no single government agency, organization or company can independently address all the emerging challenges.
Prof. Nguyen Thanh Thuy, chairman of the Information Technology Professorship Council and chairman of FISU Vietnam, a co-organizer of the conference, said AI has become a strategic technology of global importance.
He stressed the need for interdisciplinary cooperation and the participation of the entire ecosystem in advancing AI.
“We need a broad and open collaborative network, in which the state creates the enabling environment, research institutes and universities conduct research, businesses bring technology into everyday life, and professional organizations connect the community,” he said.
Sharing that view, Assoc. Prof. Le Hai Binh, a member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said AI has moved well beyond being purely a technological issue. It must also be considered in relation to institutions, governance, law and, particularly, ethics and social responsibility.
Assoc. Prof. Le Hai Binh, a member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, says the challenges posed by AI must be approached from more than a technological perspective. Photo: Du Lam
Analyzing the global race for AI sovereignty, Binh identified three urgent priorities.
The first is strengthening technological and data sovereignty. Vietnam must identify the core capabilities it needs to control, maintain command over critical data and build sufficiently strong domestic capabilities for essential infrastructure.
The second is developing and deploying AI safely and responsibly, supported by a sound governance environment that encourages sustainable innovation.
The third is developing an interdisciplinary workforce capable of mastering AI technologies as well as governing their use.
Turning to information security amid the proliferation of misinformation and AI-generated fake images and videos, Binh warned that generative AI has made the information environment increasingly complex.
“Generative AI has contributed to a rise in misinformation, while deepfakes and increasingly sophisticated forms of cognitive manipulation are becoming more prevalent,” he said. “Securing cyberspace therefore cannot rely solely on technical layers of defense. More importantly, it depends on public awareness and society’s resilience to harmful and misleading information.”
According to Thiem, establishing specialized scientific forums that connect regulators, scientists, educational institutions, businesses and dedicated professional forces is increasingly necessary. Such platforms can promote collaboration, knowledge sharing and the development of a research and innovation ecosystem for AI in general, as well as its application in cryptography and information security.
AI4CRIS 2026 was established with that objective. Featuring six invited presentations, 44 scientific papers and one roundtable discussion, the conference is expected to generate new research directions, technological solutions and products with practical applications.
The initiative is also expected to contribute directly to the government’s goal of placing Vietnam among ASEAN’s top four countries and the world’s top 50 countries in artificial intelligence by 2030.
Vietnamnet.vn
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