As AI is increasingly seen as a powerful driver of growth across multiple sectors, the Vietnamese AI market is rapidly offering exciting opportunities for its country's solutions. By 2030, Google predicts that if AI is widely adopted, AI could contribute VND 1,890 trillion ($79.3 billion) to the Vietnamese economy.
From recruitment to innovation
In 2021, there were only about 60 AI startups operating in Vietnam. In 2024, that number rose to about 300, a noticeable increase of 4.5 times in just three years. The surge makes Vietnam the second largest in Southeast Asia in terms of the number of AI startups. As startup landscapes expand, the number of “made in Vietnam” AI solutions spanning healthcare, education, manufacturing, agriculture and more is increasing.
In recent years, reports from both domestic and international organizations have consistently highlighted the rising demand for Vietnam's AI adoption. This momentum stems from a powerful combination of government-led digital transformation efforts, increasing demand for technology integration in business operations, and increasing familiarity among everyday users of AI tools.
Vietnam has set an ambitious goal. By 2030, its digital economy will account for at least 30% of GDP. Within this roadmap, AI is positioned as a strategic technology. Automating driving processes, increasing productivity, and improving the quality of both public and private sector services.
As part of the 2024 Vietnam Annual Economic and Trade Report, a recent survey by researchers from the Vietnam University of Commerce found that 80% of Vietnamese companies have adopted AI in the past year. It is significantly higher than the regional average of 69%. Many companies across the country are stepping up their AI investments to avoid being left behind in the digital race.
Vietnamese people are also actively embracing technology. A Microsoft survey found that 88% of Vietnamese knowledge workers already use generated AI, well above the global average of 75%.
Without adventures abroad, the domestic market already presents rare opportunities. Speaking at an AI event, Professor Vu Ha Van, professor of mathematics at Yale University in the United States and head of science at the Vingroup Big Data Institute (Vinbigdata), said it said it said. Vietnam is at a turning point. “We should not be end users of foreign technology, we need to create our own technology by Vietnamese people for Vietnam,” he said.
Recognizing this possibility, major technology companies such as Viettel, FPT, CMC, VNPT and Vingroup are increasing their AI investments. These industry leaders are not only building infrastructure, such as research hubs, data centers, and supercomputing facilities, but also launching AI products that serve governments, businesses and communities. In particular, the impact of these local innovations is measurable.
In the legal department, Viettel's legal virtual assistants help judges and civil servants reduce their workload by 30% by providing quick access to documents, case files and legal precedents. In Healthcare, Vindr, an AI application developed by Vinbigdata, helps physicians in diagnosing lung, liver, breast and spine with more than 90% accuracy.
Beyond the domestic market, “Made in Vietnam” AI Solutions is also adventuring overseas. Companies such as Vinai and FPT are actively partnering with global high-tech companies to co-develop AI solutions. Trusting Social, a fintech AI startup, we currently serve 85 banks, financial institutions and telecommunications companies in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Still, these success stories only represent the visible edge of Vietnam's rapidly evolving AI ecosystem and the country's broader ambitions to mark its position on a global technology map. Dr. Vuong Ba Quy, former engineering manager at Meta and Google and now co-founder, president and CTO of Innosearch AI, believes that many Vietnamese AI products are already competitive worldwide. However, some companies are hesitant and have restricted them to the domestic market. “Don't worry about not being able to compete in large markets like the US or Europe,” he advised. “Think big, think globally. There's always a place for us.”
Scale up
In 2021, Vietnam published a national strategy on the application of R&D and artificial intelligence until 2030. The goal is to gradually place Vietnam on the global AI map, as well as become an AI hub for ASEAN. This ambition is realized in stages through a series of advanced decisions, from encouraging startups and building digital infrastructures to developing AI consumer markets.
With a vision for 2050, the 2021-2030 Information and Communications Infrastructure Master Plan outlines a roadmap for developing infrastructures that support AI deployment, including high-speed internet, green data centers, technology parks, and innovation hubs.
Vietnam currently has over 27 data centers invested in 11 domestic companies, with approximately 270,000 servers. This is a strategic move to reduce dependence on foreign cloud infrastructures and move towards mastering core technologies.
When it comes to AI input, Vietnam develops large, high quality, open source Vietnamese data sets, such as national data systems, open data repositories, and Vigen. This ensures that AI development is consistent with the country's unique language, culture and ethical values.
To develop endogenous capabilities, the government has created a comprehensive AI ecosystem through the National Centre for Innovation (NIC) covering talent development, startup incubation, research support and commercialization. By 2030, the country aims to have around 500 AI startups internationally based on the Vietnamese brand.
FPT Corporation Chairman Truong Gia Binh said that in order for Vietnam to become a regional hub for AI and semiconductors, about 3-5% of its population will need to work in AI. This will lead to around 3 million high-tech engineers over the next decade.
Vietnam is known for its rich technical talent, but faces a shortage of AI experts. According to a report from the information technology (IT) recruitment platform TopDev, by 2025, the IT industry will need around 700,000 new professionals, while domestic educational institutions can only supply around 500,000.
The education sector is evolving to meet these requirements. AI is increasingly integrated into the curriculum, from primary to higher education. Schools are strengthening STEM education and incorporating AI in a more systematic way. One notable initiative is the “AI for All” program launched jointly by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Industry Partners, aiming to raise public awareness of AI and grow early-stage human capital.
According to FPT Smart Cloud CEO Le Hong Viet, to develop a “Made in Vietnam” AI product, there are five elements that need to be brought together: First, you need to create a practical AI application that will directly serve Vietnamese people. Second, data from the government and Vietnamese citizens must be collected and owned domestically. Third, you need to fully build your support technology infrastructure. Fourth, it is important to attract and nurture high-quality talent, including experts from the global research community. Fifth, markets need to be opened to stimulate demand and provide clear outlets for AI products and services.
A notable advantage of Vietnam lies in the synergy of state policy and leadership from major Vietnamese high-tech companies. These companies are empowering startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by investing in research as well as providing platforms, application programming interfaces (APIs), datasets and infrastructure. The Vietnamese tech giant is backed by its financial strength and clear strategy, and is helping to form a competitive regional technology network that allows “Vietnamese-made” AI products to serve the domestic market and expand globally.
