On September 16, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that AI must be introduced to schools in order to implement four new Politburo resolutions at the national conference.
“We are studying and dictating the spirit of 'learning while playing' to introduce AI at the primary level starting from grade 1,” he said.
Ho Duc Thang, director of the National Institute of Digital Technology and Digital Transformation, based on the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), mentioned AI education at general schools at a regular September press conference held on September 26th.
Thang emphasized that AI is one of the most strategic technologies. When introducing AI into primary education, the goal is not to turn students into technology engineers, but to help students get used to and approach AI safely.
Due to their younger age, elementary school students are not able to use tools such as ChatGPT at their own pace, as they do not have the ability to filter information. “All AI applications introduced into education need to undergo thorough reviews to ensure the highest level of safety and ethics,” he said.
Instead of focusing directly on students, teachers need to prioritize engineering AI skills to design effective and appropriate lessons.
International experience provides valuable lessons for Vietnam. For example, Singapore implements a short module to help students understand the concept of safe and responsible AI. Estonia focuses on teacher training. Korea once replaced textbooks with digital applications that were too early, but it had no effect.
He noted that sufficient infrastructure is essential to adopting AI, including basic internet access in remote and underprivileged areas.
“If AI is implemented without the right infrastructure, it can create inequality from the primary level,” Thang said.
While it is inevitable that AI will be popularized in schools, there is a need for clear objectives, careful steps, and pilot success before scaling up to ensure effectiveness and minimize risk.
Previously, FPT Chair Truong Gia Binh said in his previous article, “Unlimited Power and Unpredictable Challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Impact and Policy Responses.” Complete as soon as possible. ”
Bin emphasized that no one can predict what future work will look like. Therefore, teaching methods, learning approaches, and evaluation systems need to be radically transformed using AI. This should be done quickly.
AI is a key technology of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution and is highly prioritized by nations, especially major powers, as it is capable of reshaping the global order.
With its strategic vision, the Vietnamese Communist Party issued Resolution No. 57 to identify science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformations, including AI, and help the country achieve its strategic goal of escaping middle-income traps, reducing the risk of economic lags, and becoming a high-income country that has evolved by 2045.
Development of strategic technologies, including AI, is a top priority breakthrough and a key driver for quickly developing modern productive power, innovating national governance, and promoting socioeconomic development.
According to Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Science and Technology, AI presents a great opportunity for Vietnam to become a developed, high-income country. Vietnam must seize this opportunity, mobilize all resources for AI integration, increase Vietnam's dual intellectual capabilities, labour productivity, achieve double digit economic growth, increase national competitiveness, improve governance, and better protect the nation.
Nguyen Manh Hung pointed out that Vietnam's AI declaration is human-centric, safe, independent, collaborative, comprehensive and sustainable.
FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh said: “Minister Nguyen Manh Hung reminds me that he is thinking 10 times as a 10 times breakthrough. AI can 10 times breakthrough. It raises immeasurable challenges, but also offers great opportunities.”
Bin further emphasized that the most important solution is education reform. “I proposed radical transformation of how we teach, learn and evaluate. If Vietnamese children learn with AI, work with Grade 1 AI and grow up with AI, they can adapt to future changes when they reach adulthood.”
Thai Kang
