Address Vietnam’s digital and AI skills gap.
A key impediment to greater AI adoption in Vietnam is its weak skills base. In 2023, over 60% of businesses reported being unable to find workers at the right skill levels.34 Alongside a gap in skills, old IT infrastructure has left businesses feeling unprepared to use AI. Nearly 60% of businesses report feeling only ‘moderately ready at best’ to use AI.35
An AI skills gap and cost barriers are compounding other hesitations. In our polling, 33% of people said the main barrier to using AI tools more was concerns about data privacy and security, followed by concerns about being replaced at work (24%). These concerns highlight the need for a national strategy that pairs AI promotion with robust data protection laws and clear ethical guidelines to build public trust.
Top five barriers to AI adoption at work.
Bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas.
Despite national progress in digital infrastructure, a pronounced digital divide remains between urban and rural areas in Vietnam. In 2023, rural internet penetration lagged urban areas by 9%.36 With the rural population comprising 61% of Vietnam’s total population, it is crucial that these areas are not left behind.37
In our polling, we found that the majority of current AI use was coming “bottom up” from earlier adopters – but that usage was significantly lower among Vietnamese people in rural areas. The most significant barrier we found why rural workers were less likely to use AI are concerns about data privacy. The biggest mismatch in terms of concerns of rural vs urban workers is with difficulty integrating new tools with legacy systems, a relatively higher concern for rural workers relative to urban.
If we don’t work to reverse the gap in worker AI adoption among urban and rural areas, it could reduce the overall potential economic benefits from AI by 8.6%. Vietnam should consider establishing digital trust hubs (i.e. resource centres aimed at improving AI and digital literacy while maintaining public trust in data privacy regulations), similar to Thailand’s ‘Net Pracharat’ training centres.38 Establishing community networks and creating local help desks can help address the main AI adoption barriers cited by rural workers.
Accelerate the adoption of digital workflows.
Vietnam is one of the countries most susceptible to digital security breaches. Its global cybersecurity preparedness rank places it among countries that are least prepared for cyber attacks. Half of all Vietnamese organisations reported experiencing a cyberattack at least once in 2024.39
AI can analyse global threat intelligence data to identify trends and potential risks before they materialise into active attacks. It also acts as a safety net for phishing and similar attacks, and can automate threat responses to reduce potential damage.
Once widely deployed, we estimate that AI could prevent
of the costs of cybersecurity threats and fraud.
Global cyber security rank (out of 176 countries)40
A lower rank = poorer preparedness (i.e. 176 = lowest rank).
Source: National Cybersecurity Index
Internet safety in an increasingly digital Vietnam: Google’s mission to enhance cybersecurity.
With Vietnam’s digital economy expanding rapidly, Vietnamese citizens may find themselves at risk of becoming targets for cybercrime. In 2024, the Ministry of Public Security reported over 6,000 cases of digital crimes, with damages exceeding VND 12 trillion (USD 459 million).41 A recent survey highlighted that 7 in 10 Vietnamese citizens encounter a scam call or message at least once a month.42
Google has partnered with the Ministry of Public Security’s Department of Cybersecurity and Hi-tech Crime Prevention and Control to arm citizens with the tools they need to protect themselves from online scams and fraud. Online scams can erode trust in digital tools and with lack of trust being a major barrier to AI adoption across Vietnam, it is essential that these threats are managed appropriately.
As part of this educational campaign, Google and the Ministry of Public Security have developed several informational videos on the seven most common types of fraud:
- Impersonation of education institutions
- Frozen fund recovery
- Service payment
- Online shopping and travel
- Authority impersonation
- Romance scams for financial gain
- Fake platform investment
Over 100 YouTube creators have signed on to act as amplifiers to reach a wider audience and help educate the public on what to look out for and how to take care of their privacy when operating in a digital space.
How Google is contributing to Vietnam.
For over a decade, Google has been investing in AI to advance its mission to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. From key language understanding techniques, to the Transformer architecture underlying today’s generative AI revolution, Google researchers have been behind a significant number of defining AI breakthroughs.
Today, Google is expanding access to AI for billions in Asia Pacific through products like Maps, Search, Android, Gemini and NotebookLM, while helping businesses be more productive and connect with new customers.
This value adds up. In 2024, Google Search, Google Maps, Google Play, Google Drive, and YouTube helped provide VND 1,300 trillion (USD 52 billion) of additional consumer benefits in Vietnam. This is equivalent to a monthly benefit of VND 2 million (USD 78) for the average online adult, which is the result of easier access to information, increased productivity and a variety of entertainment and enrichment benefits.
Google acts as a crucial economic catalyst: connecting businesses with customers worldwide, enhancing business productivity and giving Vietnamese creators and developers new platforms through which they can reach the world. In 2024, Google Search, Google Ads, Google AdSense, Google Play, Google Cloud, and YouTube helped provide VND 120 trillion (USD 4.6 billion) of economic activity for businesses.