Vietnam’s digital economy is estimated to grow by 11 times by 2030 to reach $220 billion, around half of its current GDP, according to Marc Woo, managing director, Vietnam, Google Asia Pacific.

And artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be a key driver of this growth, he said at a forum held in Hanoi on July 11 to launch an comprehensive initiative that promotes the development of AI in Vietnam.

However, Mr. Woo said Vietnam is facing a shortage of AI human resources and experts.

Accordingly, the “Build for the AI Future” initiative, launched by Google and the National Innovation Center (NIC) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), focuses on two pillars – Build for Talent and Build for Startups.

Each pillar addresses critical areas to empower Vietnam's human resources, nurture its burgeoning startup ecosystem, and strengthen the foundation for maximizing AI adoption, according to MPI Deputy Minister Tran Duy Dong.

The initiative reflects the strong commitment and support of the MPI and Google for promoting the AI ecosystem in Vietnam.

It will provide 40,000 scholarships with 10 training courses, including the newly-launched additional course - Google AI Essentials - to equip Vietnam's young generation with the latest AI skills. Beneficiaries include officials, lecturers and students of more than 80 universities and colleges across the country.