AI Usage Widespread In Ho Chi Minh City, But Literacy Gaps Persist: Study

HO CHI MINH CITY, Feb 21 (Bernama-VNA/VNS) -- Generative AI usage in Vietnam is widespread, with 89.3 per cent of students and 81.9 per cent of educators reporting they use such tools, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported, citing the AI Ready ASEAN Research.

However, while nearly two-thirds of educators have completed AI-related courses, only around a quarter of students have received formal training.

Despite high levels of confidence, assessments reveal gaps in foundational AI understanding, suggesting that adoption is outpacing readiness.

The findings were released as part of the AI Ready ASEAN Research and the ASEAN Digital Outlook, officially launched by the ASEAN Foundation with support from Google.org at the AI Ready ASEAN: 3rd Regional Policy Convening in Manila, the Philippines.

The AI Ready ASEAN Research assesses AI readiness across the 10 ASEAN member nations, focusing on education communities and examining students, educators and parents as key actors shaping how AI is adopted, understood and governed.

The findings reveal a consistent gap between high levels of AI usage and actual readiness, particularly in AI literacy, ethical understanding and institutional support.

While students often emerge as early adopters of AI tools, educators and parents face greater barriers related to confidence, guidance and access to structured training.

Developed jointly with the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials' Meeting, the ASEAN Digital Outlook aligns with region-wide digital governance priorities and offers a perspective on digital maturity, infrastructure development and institutional preparedness.

Together with the AI Ready ASEAN Research, it builds on the progress of the AI Ready ASEAN programme, which has reached more than five million beneficiaries through AI literacy initiatives, enabled over 100,000 learners to complete in-depth AI training, and empowered more than 3,000 master trainers across the region.

These efforts come at a time of rapid change.

Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are reshaping Southeast Asian economies, education systems and public services at unprecedented speed.

With a population of more than 660 million people, nearly a third of them under the age of 20, Southeast Asia's ability to adopt AI responsibly will play a decisive role in shaping future skills development, employment opportunities and social inclusion.

ASEAN's digital economy is projected to expand from US$300 billion to US$1 trillion by 2030, creating immense opportunities alongside increasingly complex risks.

As AI adoption accelerates across sectors, the need for inclusive, responsible and well-governed AI use has become an urgent priority for governments, institutions and communities across the region.

-- BERNAMA-VNA/VNS