Vietnam has been named as one of the leading ASEAN countries using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public services, according to the latest report released by the UK’s Oxford Insights in collaboration with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Vietnam climbs 14 places to the 62nd in the 2021 Government Al Readiness Index. Photo: Microsoft

The country ranked 6th with a score of 51.82 out of 100 and this is the first year Vietnam’s score has surpassed the global average of 47.42.

The country has climbed 14 places to the 62nd in the 2021 Government AI Readiness Index.

Ly Hoang Tung, Deputy Head of the High Technology Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said the report measures AI readiness of countries based on factors such as human resource training, technology, the drafting and application of a national strategy on AI.

The report highlighted the importance of national AI strategies. Nearly 40% of the 160 countries ranked in the 2021 AI Readiness Index have published or are drafting national AI strategies, demonstrating that AI is quickly becoming a top concern for world leaders. About 30% of ranked countries have already published a national AI strategy while 9% are in the process of drafting. 

The global interest in AI comes in the midst of a wider turn to digital government, spurred largely by social distancing measures implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic. National AI strategies, however, remain concentrated in countries in the global north, demonstrating a deepening divide in global AI readiness.

As Vietnam issued the National Strategy on Al Research, Development and Application by 2030 in 2021, many promotion activities to realize the strategy have been implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2021 with the support of the Australia-Vietnam Innovation Partnership Program (Aus4Innovation).

The 2021 AI Readiness Index ranked 160 countries by how prepared their governments are to use AI in public services. The US topped the rankings with a score of 88.16, followed by Singapore with 82.46 and the UK in third place. East Asian countries showed particular strength, making up a quarter of the top 20.

The index, published yearly, ranks countries based on 42 indicators across three pillars: government; technology sector, and data and infrastructure.