Brian Jeffrey
“Where once job applicants were expected to be skilled in Word and Excel, today’s résumés need to showcase proficiency in using and implementing AI,” remarked Nguyen Van Khoa, Chairman of Vinasa.
Khoa expressed this viewpoint during his opening speech at the Biztech Vietnam 2025 Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City on June 3.
During his address, Khoa referred to Resolution 68 from the Politburo, highlighting the significant role of the private sector as a key driver in Vietnam’s economic landscape.
The nation aims to establish two million companies by 2030, which would contribute 55-58% of GDP, generate 35-40% of government budget revenue, and create jobs for 84-85% of the workforce, with productivity growth targeted at 8.5-9.5% each year.
He pointed out that national advancement is fueled by enterprises, which must leverage science, technology, and innovation to achieve substantial growth.
Khoa emphasized that, unprecedentedly, science, technology, and digital transformation have become central to national development strategies, particularly highlighted in Resolution 57. These elements are crucial for addressing growth-related challenges.
He noted that a significant global shift driven by artificial intelligence (AI) is taking place, and Vietnam has recognized AI, especially generative AI, as a key strategic area for development efforts.
Khoa illustrated the impact of the AI revolution with local examples: a translation company in Ho Chi Minh City reduced its workforce by 70%, a publishing company cut editorial expenses by 30%, and banks are shutting down numerous customer service branches due to increased AI implementation.
Additionally, he shared that a senior leader in a prominent government technology agency acknowledged that the department’s workload had surged by 20 to 30 times, leading to the procurement of five AI tools to keep up.
In light of Vietnam’s tiered local governance structure, more responsibilities are being delegated to community-level authorities. The integration of AI could greatly alleviate the workload of local officials and boost administrative efficiency.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into business operations, the workforce will need to adjust. “AI isn’t replacing jobs,” Khoa clarified. “People need to adapt and prepare to collaborate with machines. While earlier it was about mastering applications like Word or Excel, now generative AI is a partner in the workplace.”
He reiterated, “Where job applications used to require knowledge of Word and Excel, they must now also demonstrate skills in utilizing and applying AI.”
