Hanoi (VNS/VNA) -By the time they arrive at university, it is too late for students to startlearning programming, according to Google Brain Research Scientist Le Viet Quoc,who argues that coding should be taught at high schools and become a largerpart of the curriculum.

As artificial intelligence (AI)is forecast to boom in the near future, leading Vietnamese experts in scienceand technology say the country has potential to thrive once human resources areimproved

Citing China’sthree-year action plan for AI, Quoc said that Vietnam should accelerateinvestments into developing human resources, building an open database andcreating connections among domestic universities and international academia.

“Instead of studying computerscience like before, we should focus on machine learning or AI, algorithms anddatabases,” he said.

According to Quoc, it is alsoessential to form an elite core of experts who are able to bring innovationsback to Vietnam.

Vu Duy Thuc, CEO of Ohmnilabs,told Thanh nien (Young people)newspaper that AI has a wide range of application in Vietnam.

“AI can help improve agriculturalproductivity and enhance labour safety but not completely replace the roles offarmers,” he stressed.

Vietnam, however, is on the edgeof a brain drain, especially in the technology industry.

A survey of 1,100 IT workers inJuly by the human resources consultant Navigos Group reveals that up to 25 percent of surveyed people have attempted to work abroad. Half of them said they wouldaccept an invitation to work for foreign start-ups in new technologies,including AI.

AI is also on top three fields inwhich people surveyed chose to launch a business and leads the top fivetechnologies in which people expressed interest, followed by blockchain, datascience, machine learning and cyber security.

While 60 percent of surveyedpeople said that their companies paid attention to AI, this emerging technologyhas had insignificant applications at domestic enterprises.

Google Deepmind ResearchScientist Bui Hai Hung said that many Vietnamese people worked in the field ofAI all around the world. Some of them are experts at leading technologycorporations including Google, Facebook and Microsoft or at prestigiousuniversities. Others choose to launch start-ups.

“Although there are Vietnamese AIexperts, the country has not been recognised on the world map of thisindustry,” said Hung.

With the high global demand forhuman resources – 1 million workers, while only some 10,000 people are qualified– the industry offers a huge opportunity for countries including Vietnam, Quocsaid.

Responding to the threat of braindrain in technology, Gaku Echizenya, CEO of Navigos Groups, recommendsenterprises produce talent management policies and create favourable conditionsto generate innovations.

“Besides enterprises’ efforts inspeeding up in the technology race, Vietnam’s Government should open moreplatforms for the tech community to exchange experiences and experiment withnew innovations,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Science and TechnologyBui The Duy said that Vietnam would gather scientists into groups to accelerateresearch into AI and develop an innovative and strong network of AI in thecountry to catch the wave of the emerging technology.-VNS/VNA