HÀ NỘI — AI was not merely an applied technology but was becoming part of the national intellectual infrastructure, said Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoàng Minh at a recent digital forum.

Those who master AI would hold a superior advantage in production, education, healthcare and national governance, he noted.

The fifth Việt Nam–Korea Digital Forum took place in Hà Nội on Wednesday as part of Vietnam International Digital Week 2025.

The forum was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, attracting over 300 delegates including government officials, scientists, experts and business representatives from both countries.

The event is an annual activity under the Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation signed between the two nations in 2022 and serves as a highlight of Việt Nam International Digital Week 2025.

Minh noted that Việt Nam was accelerating the development of a national AI supercomputing centre and shared open AI data infrastructure.

The Government would prioritise investment and support for enterprises applying AI through the national technology innovation fund and national and local venture capital funds, thereby forming a robust domestic AI market, he said.

Việt Nam’s young, dynamic and tech-savvy population gave it a unique advantage, allowing the country to be both a fast adopter and a creator of AI products for itself and the world, said Minh.

“We must develop AI rapidly, safely and humanely. AI must serve people, it is a tool to assist, not to replace humans,” he said.

From the partner’s perspective, Choi Young Sam, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Việt Nam, highlighted that hosting the forum during Việt Nam International Digital Week carried special significance, reflecting the deep and forward-looking co-operation between the two nations in the AI era.

He shared that Korea had enacted its Basic AI Act earlier this year and was building a national AI data centre along with world-class AI models.

In this context, co-operation with Việt Nam presented an opportunity for both countries to grow together, leveraging the power of technology and data to enhance industrial productivity and global competitiveness, he said.

Ambassador Choi also emphasised the need for both sides to co-operate in developing essential digital infrastructure such as next-generation networks and AI data centres, while promoting human resource training through exchange programmes and start-up incubation initiatives.

“I believe this forum will help strengthen trust and the Việt Nam–Korea partnership in the digital era,” he said.

This year’s forum focused on vertical AI to inclusive AI, featuring around 20 presentations from government agencies, businesses and leading Korean corporations such as LG AI, Naver, SK Telecom, Furiosa AI, Rebellions, SAPEON and Nextchip.

Experts and enterprises from both countries agreed that for AI to become truly inclusive, a “co-creation” approach was needed, where policymakers, businesses and scientists worked closely together in policy development, technology advancement, data sharing and human resource training.

On the sidelines of the forum, technology exhibitions, start-up networking sessions and Việt Nam–Korea business co-operation signings were held, showcasing strong collaboration potential between the two innovation ecosystems.

These activities opened new opportunities for co-operation in AI development, contributing to strengthening the Việt Nam–Korea strategic partnership in a more practical, effective and sustainable manner. — VNS