However, Vietnam’s AI researchers have a big advantage – the support of the entire society. 

Vietnamese experts believe that Vietnamese are very good at math and coding, a factor that will help the country gain big achievements in the field if there are reasonable policies.

Vietnam has great potential to become a R&D (research & development) blockchain hub of the world. Some experts believe that Vietnam can be among top 5 or top 10 blockchain centers in the world. 

Dang Minh Tuan, director of QNET, said Vietnam has opportunities to develop AI equal to other countries. 

In Vietnam, AI is being used in apps such as face-identification technology cameras, smartphone chatbots, self-propelling vehicles, and nano robots.

However, Thanh pointed out that the development and application of AI in Vietnam are not as active as reported by mass media.

“Vietnam is behind other countries in developing AI and it is not likely to catch up with the countries even if it runs very fast now. There is big vulnerability in Vietnam’s human resources,” Thanh said. 

In general, in Vietnam, there are only lower and top-tier workers, the latter being who finished foreign universities and worked for foreign companies. There is a gap between the two groups, with no middle tier group, as in other countries. 

“The first thing Vietnam needs to do is remove the human resources gap in AI,” Thanh said.

He noted that machine learning communities now have more members. The communities will provide specialists, i.e. top-tier workers, who can train others in machine learning and AI.

Thanh said “we not only need theory, but also computing infrastructure and related data”, adding that Vietnamese data is mostly in foreign hands, from applications on phones to computers.

While in other countries, some people don’t think AI is extremely important, Vietnamese youth believe they have to develop AI to have a better future.

Thanh went on to say that he thinks Vietnam doesn’t have any outstanding advantage in comparison with other countries.

“I don’t think Vietnamese are good at math. They are only good at solving math questions,” he said, adding that Vietnamese forget math knowledge after they finish school because they don’t understand the nature of problems.

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