HÀ NỘI — The Âu Lạc AI Alliance was launched on June 20 in Hà Nội, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ambition to achieve digital sovereignty by developing a purely Vietnamese artificial intelligence model  created by Vietnamese, in Vietnamese, for the benefit of Vietnamese.

The launch event brought together leading scientists, technology experts, business leaders, university representatives and researchers from both domestic and international institutions.

The Alliance aims not only to advance AI technology but also to unlock the intellectual potential of Vietnamese people, foster innovation and strengthen AI applications across multiple sectors. The initiative is expected to enhance national knowledge, boost labour productivity, and drive economic growth, ultimately affirming Việt Nam’s position on the global technology map.

Speaking at the event, Prof Dr Nguyễn Xuân Thắng , Politburo member, Director of the HCM National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, and member of the Âu Lạc AI Alliance said: “I truly appreciate the name Âu Lạc AI Alliance. It reflects our country’s deep-rooted sovereignty since its founding. Now is the time to assert that sovereignty in the digital space. We must build a Vietnamese AI model in the Vietnamese language.”

He stressed that to thrive in the technological era, Việt Nam must make bold strategic decisions, driven by unity and collective determination. The Alliance seeks to create a vibrant innovation ecosystem, consolidating intellectual, technological, data and institutional resources to develop authentically Vietnamese AI models.

Beyond technology, the Alliance also aims to preserve national culture by spreading digital knowledge, elevating public understanding and contributing to Việt Nam’s development goals.

Prof Thắng warned that without control over its own data  particularly data in Vietnamese, generated and owned by Vietnamese people the country risks becoming dependent and losing autonomy in the emerging digital era.

Dr Trương Gia Bình, Chairman of the Âu Lạc AI Alliance and Chairman of FPT Corporation, outlined three key drivers behind Việt Nam’s urgent need to establish AI sovereignty.

He referenced the conflict between Israel and Iran to illustrate that a nation’s ability to defend itself is increasingly tied to its mastery of advanced technologies, especially AI. In today's world, technological sovereignty is inseparable from national sovereignty.

The aspiration for Việt Nam to become a developed nation by the 100th anniversary of its independence. The country has already identified a 'strategic quartet' for this mission: modern governance, deep international integration, science-and-technology-led development, and intellectual export. But as Bình asked: “Without a strong AI platform, can we achieve these goals?”

While global superpowers invest hundreds of billions of dollars annually in AI, Việt Nam’s resources remain far more modest. However, Bình believes this limitation can become an advantage if the nation mobilises its collective strength  from students to workers  to build a uniquely Vietnamese AI foundation.

He strongly advocated for integrating AI education from elementary school to university level, engaging more than 50 million workers to understand and apply AI in their daily work. According to him, this will pave the way for Việt Nam to enhance labour productivity and usher in a new era of prosperity powered by Vietnamese intellect. — VNS