Hanoi (VNA) - There remain many gaps hindering the sustainable and effective development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector despite growing adoption efforts, according to a report unveiled at a workshop in Hanoi on March 18.
The event was co-hosted by the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam.
The report, funded by UNDP and conducted by IPS, found that 87% of AI-integrated public sector projects remain dormant, while 70% of surveyed businesses and organisations rated their AI efforts as minimally effective.
IPS Director Nguyen Quang Dong presented key insights from the report, which was compiled through over 30 interviews with representatives from central and local government agencies, AI businesses and experts to map the current landscape and chart policy paths forward.
Though challenges dominate, the report spotlighted successes: virtual assistants aiding public administration, facial recognition software for security, and smart traffic monitoring systems.
To bridge the identified gaps, delegates proposed bolstering digital technology capacity via investments in data systems and high-performance computing, ramping up AI workforce training, and crafting clear legal frameworks for accountability, risk management, and privacy protection. They also pushed for public-private partnerships to spur AI innovation, open data policies, streamlined data management, and robust computing hubs to power AI tools.
Government agencies should also focus on ethical AI and risk management, ensuring transparency, fairness, non-discrimination, and the protection of citizens' privacy, they said.
The workshop also delved into broader discussions on AI governance and ethics, government AI readiness, the global AI landscape, AI’s impact on Sustainable Development Goals, risks and rewards of implementation./.
