HCM City – The world has entered an era of great technological development, which has changed people’s lifestyles, even in Việt Nam, Nhịp Cầu Đầu Tư (Investment Bridge) magazine’s technology conference has heard.

“We would like to show how leading technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, network security, and e-commerce can change life and help the Vietnamese business community achieve breakthroughs," Đặng Nhật Minh, editor-in-chief of the magazine said at the first Tech Summit in HCM City this week.

David Lang, chief product officer of Infinity Blockchain Labs, said by 2030 the value of blockchain would reach US$2 trillion.

“Blockchain is a trusted platform. It has created more jobs and more nations have welcomed blockchain enterprises with looser regulations.

“Despite the fact that the electronic money market has significantly decreased, other blockchain applications have strongly developed in the banking system and supply chain and to meet other social demands.”

According to CNN, last year the blockchain market was worth nearly $1 trillion.

Infinity Blockchain Labs has applied blockchain technology in tracking agricultural products in Việt Nam.

“In the near future people will use blockchain technology like the internet and we can imagine that each company will build its own trustworthy network based on blockchain technology and then connect them together,” Lang said.

Vietnamese start-up companies should pay attention to artificial intelligence (AI), the conference heard.

According to US market research company Tractica, by 2025 AI applications will be worth $60 billion.

The latest trends in AI are to imitate the human nervous system and get machines to speak various languages.

Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, technology director at Microsoft Asia-Pacific, said: “Human ingenuity is unique, no machine can compare it. It can adapt, imagine and invent, but AI cannot.

“AI is to amplify and supplement human ingenuity.

“AI must go with Big data because AI cannot work efficiently without Big data while Big data is less useful without AI.

“When AI can be integrated into smart operation systems, it can help humans connect systems and supervise all important fields like transport, administration, medicine, housing, education, and culture.

“AI brings precise production, saves expenditure, makes human life more comfortable, and creates opportunities for enterprises.”

Hoàng Tuấn Hải, Commercial PC Market Development Manager at Hewlett Packard Việt Nam, said cyber attacks had doubled last year.

“In Việt Nam, 70 per cent of cyber attacks are done by malware in end-user equipments.

“Network security is very important for personal connected equipment like computers, mobile phones, even printers because data is now valuable in the industry 4.0 era.”

Trần Ngọc Thái Sơn, founder and CEO of Tiki, said if any company wants to enter the billion-dollar club it should start with social networks, electronic payments and e-commerce.

“In Southeast Asia, Việt Nam is considered to have great potential, only behind Indonesia, because of its population and youth.

“In 2017 retail turnover was $130 billion with annual growth of 9 per cent, while e-commerce only accounted for 2 per cent.

“In future the figure will increase 10 fold to 20 per cent.”

He advised Vietnamese investors to focus on warehousing, which is expected to boom soon to meet the rapid growth in e-commerce.

“Investors can make big bets and win big with big e-commerce companies, or bet small but win big with emerging models.” -- VNS