Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
BIG BET
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that despite Vietnam’s strategic roadmap to harness AI for national development, there is a significant gap in AI readiness and practical application within the public administration sector, impeding effective and ethical e-governance and public service delivery. There is a need to accurately assess this gap and propose policy recommendation
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to be a transformative force, with projections suggesting it could contribute an additional US$13 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Vietnam, with its growing AI community and government-funded initiatives, is at the forefront of this revolution. The Vietnamese government has established a strategic roadmap under the National Strategy for Research, Development, and Application of AI by 2030, aiming to leverage AI research and deployment to propel socio-economic advancement.
Despite these ambitious plans, Vietnam lags behind regional peers such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand in AI readiness, as indicated by the Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index. This disparity highlights the necessity for Vietnam to foster international collaborations and invest in local AI research tailored to its specific challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AI has been applied in various fields in Vietnam, including education, health, agriculture, transportation, and trade, improving productivity and efficiency. However, the adoption of AI also brings risks, including data security, privacy concerns, and high-tech crime. The current global landscape shows a bias towards nations with strong AI research capabilities, often leaving countries like Vietnam at a disadvantage. This underscores the need for Vietnam to accelerate the development, application, and preparedness for AI within its public administration to achieve its sustainable development objectives.
UNDP, in collaboration with the Accelerator Lab and PAPI team, aims to conduct an AI Readiness Assessment (AIRA) to evaluate Vietnam’s AI landscape, identify challenges and opportunities, and develop tailored guidelines for ethical AI integration in public administration. This initiative will support Vietnam in enhancing e-governance and public service delivery, ensuring equitable benefits across all segments of society.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Vietnam's AI readiness ranking, as reported by Oxford Insights, places it 59th globally and 9th in East Asia, significantly behind regional leaders such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This ranking exemplifies the gap in AI infrastructure and readiness compared to neighboring countries, highlighting the urgency to enhance AI capabilities.
Additionally, the potential economic impact of AI on Vietnam is substantial, with AI projected to contribute significantly to GDP growth by 2030. According to PwC, AI could add up to US$13 trillion to the global economy, emphasizing the need for Vietnam to harness this technology for economic advancement.
Source: Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index, PwC Global Artificial Intelligence Study
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Weak signals indicating the urgency of addressing AI readiness in Vietnam include the recent push by the government to integrate digital transformation within public services. In UNDP Workshop on AI in Justice system, we heard reports from government officials indicate a growing interest in AI applications but also reveal significant concerns about data privacy and security risks. Moreover, feedback from public administration officials during preliminary consultations suggests a lack of understanding and preparedness to implement AI solutions, underscoring the need for targeted capacity-building initiatives.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
The Accelerator Lab brings a unique value proposition to this challenge by leveraging its expertise in innovation, experimentation, and systems thinking. Our Lab's approach to integrating AI in public administration focuses on ethical practices and inclusivity, ensuring that AI benefits are equitably distributed across society.
Innovative Methodologies: The Lab employs cutting-edge methodologies such as human-centered design and collective intelligence to develop AI solutions tailored to Vietnam's specific needs.
Collaborative Network: Our position within the UNDP and our extensive network of local and international partners enable us to foster collaborations that are essential for successful AI integration.
Focus on Ethics and Inclusivity: Unlike other stakeholders, the Accelerator Lab prioritizes ethical AI practices, data governance, and the mitigation of algorithmic biases, aligning AI initiatives with Vietnam’s sustainable development goals.
Investing resources in this challenge is crucial as it aligns with Vietnam’s national strategy and UNDP’s commitment to advancing SDGs. By enhancing AI readiness and application within public administration, we can significantly improve service delivery, transparency, and responsiveness, driving socio-economic development and positioning Vietnam as a leader in AI adoption in the region.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
We're assessing AI readiness in Vietnam's public administration to boost e-governance and public service delivery. Our goal: ethical, inclusive AI integration to enhance transparency and efficiency, driving sustainable development. #AI #E-governance #Innovation #Vietnam
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
How can we effectively assess and enhance AI readiness in Vietnam's public administration to ensure ethical, inclusive, and efficient AI integration that supports improved e-governance and public service delivery while addressing data security and privacy concerns?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Explore, Test
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Generative AI: We will employ Generative AI to analyze large datasets from public administration processes to identify patterns, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. This will help us develop tailored AI solutions that can be directly applied to enhance service delivery.
Foresight: Foresight techniques will be used to anticipate future challenges and opportunities related to AI integration in public administration. By developing various future scenarios, we can prepare adaptive strategies and ensure long-term sustainability of AI initiatives.
System Thinking: Using system thinking, we will map the entire public administration ecosystem, identifying key stakeholders, interactions, and potential leverage points. This holistic view will allow us to design more effective and interconnected AI solutions that address the root causes of inefficiencies.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Current AI Capabilities in Public Administration: Limited data on existing AI applications and their effectiveness within Vietnam’s public administration.
Stakeholder Needs and Concerns: Insufficient qualitative data on the needs, concerns, and readiness of public administration officials and citizens regarding AI integration.
Future Scenarios and Impact: Lack of foresight data on potential future scenarios and their impact on AI integration in public administration.
System Interactions and Dependencies: Incomplete understanding of the interactions and dependencies within the public administration ecosystem.
User Experience and Usability Data: Limited insights into the user experience and usability of current and proposed AI solutions.
9Industry, innovation and infrastructure
16Peace, justice and strong institutions
