Relentlessly “fortifying its AI fortress” for more than a decade, FPT has made significant investments in both technology and human capital. The corporation has gone “all in” on this bet, fueled by the aspiration to place Vietnamese intelligence on the global AI map.

The most anticipated annual event in the tech industry, FPT Techday 2024, took place over two days in mid-November in Ho Chi Minh City. With 2,500 attendees, including government leaders, industry officials, and business representatives, 20 renowned speakers conveyed the event’s message: “Future Now - The Future is Here”.

Stories shared by industry giants such as PSA, one of the world’s largest port corporations headquartered in Singapore, the former CTO of Foxconn, and Nvidia illustrated how AI adoption has sparked transformative changes for businesses. The event underscored a bold forecast for technological trends: the shift from digital transformation to Intelligence Transformation.

“FPT saves every penny, but we have made such a bold bet because we believe in AI,” said Mr. Truong Gia Binh, Founder and Chairman of the FPT Corporation.

AI has undergone various cycles of development on a global scale, moving from the stagnation of its “winters” to the vibrant “spring” it enjoys today, marking an era of robust growth and widespread application. Since the early 2000s, AI has overcome significant barriers thanks to deep learning methods and deep neural networks, enabling it to tackle complex tasks such as image recognition and natural language processing.

Three key factors driving this trend include: Big data generated by the internet and Internet of Things (IoT) devices; Computing power enabled by GPUs and TPUs; and Substantial investments from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and IBM. These advancements have paved the way for practical AI applications in everyday life, from autonomous vehicles to healthcare and agriculture.

On the global AI map, major players such as the US, China, and several European countries lead the way with consistent advancements in AI research and development and applications across key areas such as generative AI, autonomous vehicles, and cloud computing.

Vietnam, while still in the early stages of its AI journey, has made remarkable strides forward thanks to rapid technological development and the concerted efforts of enterprises and the government. Specifically, the government has demonstrated a strong commitment to AI development through its National Strategy for AI Research, Development, and Application to 2030, which prioritizes domestic AI projects and lays the groundwork to enhance technological capabilities. Supported by favorable policies and a pool of promising talent, Vietnam is gradually narrowing the gap with more advanced nations in this field.

Leading domestic tech corporations, particularly FPT, have made significant investments in AI and established partnerships with global leaders like Nvidia to build AI factories. Most recently, alongside launching AI factories in Vietnam and Japan, FPT introduced an ecosystem of partners to support its AI Factory initiatives. Collaborating with global technology giants such as Nvidia, SCSK, ASUS, Hewlett Packard, VAST Data, and DDN Storage, FPT aims to drive the development and operation of AI factories in both countries.

The establishment of the FPT AI Factory marks a significant milestone in FPT’s comprehensive AI investment strategy, spanning infrastructure, products and services, and human resources. With the aim of integrating AI into every aspect of life, FPT has embedded this technology into over 200 products within its “Made by FPT” ecosystem, including 30 AI-applied products and eleven ready-to-deploy solutions.

With its “GenAI First” vision and ambition to master generative AI, FPT continues to launch new AI/GenAI solutions via its FPT.AI platform, catering to a diverse range of customers, including individuals, SMEs, enterprises, and government agencies.

Alongside its technological efforts, FPT remains committed to a human-centered AI development philosophy. For FPT, AI is not just a tool for generating economic value but also a means to improve quality of life and serve societal interests. The corporation prioritizes safe AI development, striving to minimize technological risks and safeguard user rights. This is exemplified by its partnership with the Mila - Quebec AI Institute in Canada to establish responsible frameworks and principles for sustainable development.

This direction not only solidifies FPT’s pioneering position but also drives comprehensive, sustainable, and transparent digital transformation for society.

In November 2022, ChatGPT was launched and quickly became a symbol of progress in AI. With its ability to understand and respond to natural language, ChatGPT has transcended basic communication, unlocking countless practical applications.

Beyond OpenAI’s remarkable achievements, Nvidia’s role in ChatGPT’s success cannot be overlooked. Thanks to Nvidia’s advanced GPUs, this massive model can process billions of parameters and learn from a vast global dataset.

In fact, Nvidia’s stock has skyrocketed since OpenAI released ChatGPT, according to Opening Bell Daily. Over the past year, Nvidia’s value has surged nearly 800 per cent, making it one of the world’s largest companies, with a market capitalization exceeding $3.5 trillion as of August 2024. Nvidia’s valuation has reached an all-time high, yet experts suggest this may only be the beginning. The upcoming launch of its next-generation Blackwell GPU chips is expected to be a game-changer for the entire tech industry.

Many experts compare Nvidia’s brand strength, financial performance, and global influence to Apple’s position under Steve Jobs more than a decade ago. This enviable status has made Nvidia a prime target for businesses and governments eager to seize this “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to invest in and collaborate with the company.

After more than a decade of groundwork in building its AI foundation, FPT has achieved a significant milestone in its “AI bet” by becoming an official partner of Nvidia. This collaboration has generated excitement in the tech community, further affirming Vietnam’s growing prominence in AI. In April, FPT announced a $200 million investment to collaborate with Nvidia in developing an AI Factory equipped with high-performance computing systems powered by H100 GPUs. This strategic move is designed to enhance FPT’s capabilities and optimize AI technologies. Vietnam's first AI Factory is set to begin offering services in January 2025.

“AI factories will spark a technological revolution, enabling businesses in any industry to adapt to this new era,” said Mr. Dennis Ang, Senior Sales Director for Asia, Australia, and New Zealand at Nvidia.

The partnership between FPT and Nvidia completes FPT’s AI value chain, encompassing computing infrastructure, integrated AI solutions, and services. With advanced technological capabilities, FPT not only meets infrastructure requirements but also delivers a suite of optimized AI products and services, empowering domestic and international clients to deploy cutting-edge solutions.

This collaboration creates significant opportunities for FPT to develop innovative AI applications in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing, further solidifying its position on the global technology map.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with a visionary corporation like FPT,” Mr. Ang continued. “Together, we are building ‘AI Factories’, ushering Vietnam into a new decade of progress while delivering a superior technology ecosystem for both governments and businesses.”

FPT’s long-term vision for AI development is also reflected in its investment of over VND4 trillion ($160 million) in the construction of an AI Center and auxiliary urban area in Quy Nhon city, south-central Binh Dinh province. This ambitious project, which broke ground in August, features three main functional zones: an AI Center, an education and training zone, and an auxiliary urban area. Spanning over 93 ha, the Quy Nhon AI Center is poised to become a leading hub for AI innovation in the region and globally, offering solutions in cybersecurity, digital transformation, and service quality enhancement. Once completed, the center aims to attract and retain top tech talent, positioning Vietnam as a regional AI powerhouse.

Alongside infrastructure development, FPT has partnered with world-class experts and organizations to strengthen its AI capabilities.

In 2020, FPT became a strategic partner of Mila, one of the world’s leading AI research institutes. The collaboration covers advancing FPT’s AI technological capabilities through research and development, strategic consultation leveraging Mila’s extensive expertise to establish the FPT's AI Research and Application Center in Quy Nhon, training and exchanging high-quality AI talent with opportunities for global skill enhancement, and exploring business development opportunities within Mila’s partner ecosystem.

Through this partnership, FPT’s AI workforce has flourished under the mentorship of Professor Yoshua Bengio, Full Professor at Université de Montréal, Scientific Director at Mila, and a pioneer in AI and deep learning.

In October 2023, FPT became a strategic shareholder in LandingAI, a company founded by Andrew Ng, one of the “godfathers” of AI. This partnership signifies a commitment to advancing AI in both technology and education.

Subsequently, in November 2023, FPT established a strategic partnership with AItomatic, a Silicon Valley-based company specializing in expert language models, to accelerate AI applications across industries globally. At the end of 2023, FPT joined the AI Alliance, initiated by IBM and Meta, standing alongside industry giants to foster a responsible AI community. This alliance enhances FPT’s security framework for clients and creates an open ecosystem for AI development and application.

These initiatives exemplify FPT’s long-term strategy and unwavering determination to “reach new heights in AI”, a vision articulated by Founder and Chairman Mr. Binh.

“We must cultivate a stream of engineers and entrepreneurs with solid skills to lead Vietnam’s AI revolution,” according to Professor Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director at the Mila - Quebec AI Institute.

To support this mission, FPT launched the AI Residency Program, aimed at nurturing young talent in AI and machine learning research. This initiative has enabled FPT to achieve nearly 90 scientific publications at prestigious AI conferences such as ICML, NeurIPS, ACL, and EMNLP as of 2024. Of these, 29 papers have been accepted at A-ranked conferences, the highest tier in machine learning and AI rankings.

FPT’s contributions to nurturing AI talent, particularly for the broader community, have earned international recognition. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Phong, representing FPT, was honored by Constellation Research, a renowned Silicon Valley-based research and advisory firm, as one of the Top 150 Global AI Leaders for advancing intelligent transformation in Vietnam and worldwide.

To elevate AI talent to a world-class level, FPT has also recruited numerous international experts, including Mr. Binod Rangadore Hampapur, former Executive Vice President at Infosys, Mr. Frank Bignone, former Vice President and Head of Digital Transformation at Airbus for the Asia-Pacific and China region, and Mr. Prajith Nair, former Director of Training at Infosys.

These strategic hires not only enhance FPT’s domestic competitiveness but also bolster Vietnam’s position on the global AI map.

Leveraging the power of technology to boost work efficiency, FPT has integrated AI into its processes and products, fostering internal growth while delivering impressive results in both Vietnamese and international markets.

“Think AI as assistant” is a core mindset embraced by 30,000 employees in FPT’s software export division. Employees at every level are encouraged to use AI to enhance productivity, minimize repetitive tasks, and allocate resources to higher-value, more creative work.

In technical operations, more than 200 projects in FPT’s software export division leverage CodeVista, a Generative AI-powered prompting tool, helping to boost coding speed by 30 per cent, reduce effort for writing code by 63 per cent, accelerate the coding process five-fold compared to manual methods, and significantly improve software quality.

FPT has also launched the “Elevate AI for BA” campaign, equipping its back-office team with AI application skills, optimizing workflows, and spurring innovative breakthroughs, contributing to the company’s goal of generating $5 billion in IT services revenue from overseas markets by 2030.

In particular, the HR department has implemented AI solutions to enhance work efficiency, from deploying the virtual assistant Maya to help new employees integrate quickly and effectively, saving the company over VND23 billion ($920,000).

AI tools have been widely adopted in other departments as well, such as marketing, yielding positive results in process optimization and cost reduction. For instance, Microsoft’s Clarity x Copilot tool has improved customer experiences on the website, while AI-driven LinkedIn Ads have enabled advertising cost reductions.

One of FPT’s greatest advantages is its relentless drive to stay ahead of global technology trends. To foster a proper mindset about AI, FPT emphasizes earning AI certifications, staying updated with the latest AI knowledge, and meeting the strict AI requirements of its clients.

In 2024, nearly 10,000 employees in FPT’s software export division completed AI certifications aligned with Nvidia’s standards. This milestone opens up opportunities for participation in diverse AI projects worldwide and strengthens FPT’s position in cutting-edge AI research and innovation.

After over a decade of investing in AI, FPT has built an ecosystem of AI products and solutions that deliver distinctive value to customers across industries, widely adopted by thousands of clients in numerous countries. With 40 products in the FPT AI ecosystem, powered by strengths in Generative AI, FPT collaborates with hundreds of major enterprises to enhance productivity while providing excellent experiences to nearly 600 million end-users globally each year.

The FPT.AI platform plays a central role in this ecosystem with five key solution groups: AI-powered conversational systems, automated customer care center management, intelligent document processing, electronic customer identification, and human resource management. These solutions are helping over 100 businesses across 15 countries boost productivity by up to 60 per cent and optimize operational costs by 47 per cent.

Through this journey, FPT has not only amassed expertise and core technological capabilities but also transformed them into flexible, customizable solutions tailored to industry-specific challenges. This capability has attracted partnerships with major clients in the US and Japan, particularly in automotive manufacturing, finance, and services. The ability to integrate AI enables FPT to delve deeper into customers’ core business operations, optimize processes, and enhance value, thereby creating a competitive edge for the company.

Mr. Vu Hong Chien, Director of the Quy Nhon Center for Research and Application of Artificial Intelligence at FPT Corporation, said “FPT is utilizing AI to solve many real-world problems, leveraging core technology to create ‘Made in Vietnam’ products.”

A notable example is QAIVision (akaCam), an advanced AI solution developed by the FPT team, which assists in object and behavior analysis and identification. In manufacturing, this solution has helped a Japanese automotive components manufacturer optimize meal management processes, reducing food waste by 34 per cent. In the financial sector, QAIVision assists a leading Vietnamese bank in tightly managing nearly 400 cash vaults, minimizing the risk of asset loss.

FPT has also assisted over 30 cities and provinces in implementing IT solutions and utility models aligned with the objectives of Project 06, helping to optimize administrative processes and minimize fraud in driving tests through the application of QAIVision. Proven effective in markets like Vietnam, Japan, and Canada, QAIVision has earned prestigious awards, including Sao Khue (2023) and Vietnam Digital Awards (2024).

FPT’s experts also collaborated with Google Research to develop an AI solution optimizing pasture management, aiding over 2 million African farmers in grazing livestock in harsh environments. This achievement earned FPT the “Most Impactful Award” at the “AI for Social Good” conference, highlighting its significant contributions to addressing societal challenges through AI.

In addition, other advanced technology solutions from FPT have also been recognized at numerous international awards. Among those, the FPT.AI platform was honored as the global leader in the “Conversational AI Software 2024” category for two consecutive years by the international organization SoftwareReviews. IvyChat, a large language model application automating business processes, won a Gold award at the International Business Awards 2024. CodeVista, an AI assistant for programmers, meanwhile, earned a Bronze award in the AI and Machine Learning - Generative AI category.

These achievements further solidify FPT’s position as a global leader in technological innovation. Sharing insights on transforming IT legacy systems for clients, Mr. Pham Minh Tuan highlighted significant global opportunities.

FPT’s AI system, developed by the corporation’s AI Center, has enabled clients to gain deep insights into legacy codebases with an accuracy comparable to seasoned technology experts with 60-70 years of experience. Notably, FPT’s specialized large language model, XMainframe, designed to thoroughly understand Cobol programming language, has positioned the corporation as a global leader in modernizing legacy systems, transforming AI into an effective bridge between the past and the future for enterprises.

This achievement underscores FPT’s development of an advanced ecosystem of products and services, from infrastructure and technology expertise to industry-specific knowledge, driving sustainable growth for its clients, communities, and the global economy.

FPT is making a bold “bet” on AI with aspirations to transform Vietnam and the world. With a philosophy and vision rooted in sustainability and strategic collaborations with major players like Nvidia, LandingAI, and global AI alliances, FPT is expected to contribute to positioning Vietnam as a leading destination for AI across various domains, from workforce development to digital ecosystems.

Looking ahead to the future of AI, FPT aims to provide every individual and industry with their own “digital assistant”, accompanying them in every task to help people live more conveniently and enjoy a fuller sense of happiness.

Will this “bold bet” elevate Vietnam to become a global AI hub? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: FPT has laid, and will continue to lay, the groundwork for future opportunities.