Overview of the Forum.

According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, the path of AI Make in VietNam is open source, but that is not "absolutely open". Openness must go hand in hand with control, standards and responsibility. He gave the example of Open RAN - a technology that "opens" the radio signal processing part but still keeps the core part secret. "Everything has an open part and a closed part. The important thing is to understand how to open and master your core part", the Minister emphasized.

From that mindset, the Minister affirmed that open AI, open data and open technology are the path to help Vietnam solve its own problems and contribute to humanity. "Vietnam is no longer a country that begs for knowledge. With the 15th largest population, 32nd largest economy and 20th largest trade in the world, we must enter into an equal relationship: using the quintessence of humanity but also contributing intelligence to humanity. Only then will development be sustainable", the Minister emphasized.

To develop AI, Vietnam needs a solid computing and data infrastructure that ensures safety and sovereignty. According to him, the most important data is not raw data, but user questions - because it is from questions that intelligence is formed.

The Minister affirmed: "AI is the national intellectual infrastructure. Without infrastructure, Vietnamese intelligence will be out of control and used by others." Open technology is the path for Vietnam to master this infrastructure. The pillars of intellectual infrastructure include: national computing and data infrastructure, platform models and core technologies, human resources and intellectual communities, application and innovation ecosystems, and AI institutions, standards and safety.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is currently implementing many specific actions to realize this vision. The Ministry is focusing on completing the AI ​​Law, building a national AI Ethics Code, and promulgating standards and regulations on AI. Regarding infrastructure, the Ministry will build and operate a shared national AI supercomputing infrastructure worth 300 million USD within three years, of which the first phase (2026) will invest 100 million USD.

Along with that, the State will cooperate with businesses and institutes to develop an open Vietnamese AI database, cleaned, labeled and standardized to serve training, testing and deployment of domestic AI systems.

Regarding human resources, the Ministry is submitting to the Government to allocate 5% of the science and technology budget (about 100 million USD/year) for master's and doctoral scholarships, focusing on training AI human resources. The Minister emphasized: Science and technology is most important in people, and the key positions are currently held by people who have received international scholarships - a testament to the importance of investing in human resources.

In market development, the Government will innovate the public procurement mechanism in the spirit of "AI first" - all software and public services will be considered to prioritize AI solutions, especially domestic open AI products. The State will publicize national problems, order businesses and research institutes to solve them using AI, and issue vouchers to small and medium-sized enterprises to test domestic AI products. The Government will also allocate 40% of the research and development and innovation budget to AI, considering it a top strategic technology.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung speaks at the Forum.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized that, in order to develop more strongly, Vietnam needs to soon establish the Vietnam Open Technology Association and issue the National Strategy on Open Technology in 2026. "The State creates institutions and infrastructure; businesses develop products, services and markets; the community of scientists, engineers and people contribute knowledge, data and models. That is the way for Vietnam's AI to develop openly, autonomously and competitively," the Minister affirmed.

Concluding the Forum, the Minister sent a strong message: "Let's bring AI to every hospital, school and business. Let open technology unleash Vietnamese intelligence. Open AI will be the driving force for Vietnam to break through to become a developed country."

                                                                                                  Center for Science and Technology Communication