The trend for digital transformation and the push from new technology have created momentum for platforms and products applying AI to develop in Vietnam.

Skapa.ai, a social tech company, has announced it will launch another social network specifically for Generation Z at the end of February, called Leka. Instead of focusing on connection-based content recommendations, Leka will offer an app experience that reflects what users themselves like, with AI support. Previously, Skapa.ai also launched the Fika dating app, which also uses AI to meet unique needs.

The only way we can deliver the experience that our vision dreams of is through big data and AI. The recommendation algorithm is carefully crafted for a healthier social media world. It will allow our users to feel encouraged to post and not to be judged in ways that are ever so prevalent in current social media,” said the tech company’s co-founder and CTO Xing Luo.

Skapa.ai is not alone in the journey to find opportunities and develop products from the AI technology platform, both in Vietnam and in the world.

The emergence of AI combined with big data has created a lot of added value and convenience for users and has been interested in development by many technology businesses around the world for many years.

According to research by International Data Corporation, governments and businesses around the world will invest up to $500 billion in AI technology in 2023. Recently, leading chipmakers Intel and AMD have both unveiled new hardware acceleration for AI-based software in their latest CPUs.

In Vietnam, the popularity of AI has come earlier than expected. The country currently has more than 70,000 digital businesses that have been applied in fields from finance, industry, smart cities, healthcare, insurance, smart agriculture, and environmental technology, and more, with the participation of leading groups in the field of technology.

FPT, a pioneer in digital transformation and the largest IT service provider in Vietnam, currently owns the FPT.AI platform, including more than 20 advanced services deployed in 15 countries with 11 million users and 200 million communicators. AI will continue to be FPT’s spearhead in the next three years, and this business is expected to invest at least VND300 billion ($13 million) to continue developing the ecosystem.

In the middle of last year, Viettel became the first player in Vietnam and one of five businesses in Southeast Asia to officially establish a strategic cooperation with NVIDIA, one of the largest corporations providing solutions for AI. NVIDIA’s solutions are being widely applied, with more than two-thirds of the world’s fastest supercomputers using this corporation’s technology.

Viettel will join NVIDIA’s global partner network, contributing to accelerating the speed of research and application in areas such as computer vision, natural language processing, digital copy, and robotics.

Nguyen Dinh Chien, Viettel’s deputy general director said, “The strategic cooperation relationship between Viettel and NVIDIA will be the foundation for the development of the field in Vietnam and the region.”

The government AI Readiness Index 2022 report published by Oxford Insights in January shows that Vietnam ranks 55/181 globally and ranks six out of 10 in ASEAN, reflected in the use of AI to operate and provide services. Compared to last year’s results, Vietnam’s ranking has increased by seven places on the global AI readiness index, thanks to the strengths of a young population, high digital skills, and the ability to quickly adapt to new digital solutions.

Nguyen Minh Tu, Zalo’s technology director, said the wave of technology would change drastically day by day, and the AI race in Vietnam has just begun and will explode in the near future.

Vietnam Investment Review