The Vietnamese tech job market is on the rise, but will AI tools soon replace the need for human programmers? The answer, according to experts interviewed by Vietnam Investment Review, is “not yet”.
Vietnam’s tech market has created high demand for programmers, but despite the rise of AI software, MindX Technology School’s Nguyen Trung Duc doesn’t expect this to affect the labor market in Vietnam for some time.
Duc asserts that while the primary advantages of AI software – low cost, ease of management and high working efficiency – are attractive to business owners, they can’t replace the need for skilled human programmers. He said this was because AI software “depends on the input data source, so it often provides false information”.
Furthermore, Duc believes that AI lacks the critical thinking humans possess and thus has limited potential as an innovation tool. “The tool is now more like software that quickly aggregates and organizes information based on open data, rather than a brain that thinks like a human,” Duc said.
Combining humans with AI tools
Meanwhile, Nguyen Thac Thang, CEO of senior recruitment consulting group ACG, said that AI tools would initially be used to support the work of IT staff and make basic reports.
“It is unlikely to replace the work of programmers, but assistive technology tools and software like ChatGPT are essential to help developers create more quality products,” Thang said.
He further stressed that technology businesses could combine their human resources with AI to ensure a substantial and diverse technical workforce in Vietnam, which would create more opportunities for younger employees.
Vietnam on track to build tech empire
Last year, IT recruitment platform TopDev predicted that more than 150,000 programmers and engineers would be needed in the next two years, with a shortfall of around 40,000.
This presents a huge opportunity for the 57,000 students reported to specialize in information technology, Thang said. “Younger employees will have more opportunities because they are better able to stay updated than those who have been in a job for a long time and are weaker in terms of mastering new technology and a willingness to do so.”
According to a KPMG report, the number of startups in Vietnam nearly doubled from the beginning of the pandemic through mid-2022. The country saw investments from some of the world’s biggest investors, including Sequoia Capital, Warburg Pincus LLC and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
Samsung also recently opened a $220-million research and development center in Hanoi, led by Choi Joo Ho. The goal is to turn the center into the company’s strategic base for major research and development.
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