AI singers perform in the music video Say Một Đời Vì Em (Drunk on You for a Lifetime). Việt Nam is seen as having strong potential in video games, music, film and animation inspired by folk culture. — Photo courtesy of Ken Quách Official

HÀ NỘI — As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the creation, production and distribution of cultural products while opening new opportunities for cultural heritage preservation and global outreach, experts say its full potential can only be realised through stronger legal frameworks, richer data resources and a highly skilled workforce.

AI is becoming a core technology across cultural industries, enabling businesses to optimise production, reduce costs, personalise user experiences and develop higher-value cultural products. As Việt Nam identifies cultural industries as a new driver of economic growth and national branding, AI is expected to play an increasingly important role in strengthening the sector's competitiveness.

In the film industry, AI is primarily used to support production through image restoration, automatic subtitling, dubbing, audience analytics and content personalisation on distribution platforms. In music, it assists with composing melodies, arranging, audio processing, noise reduction and creating demo recordings.

The publishing sector uses AI for manuscript editing, translation, text summarisation and converting printed books into audiobooks, while journalism and media organisations employ it to analyse data and accelerate information processing. AI is also enhancing audience experiences in the performing arts and showing strong potential in video game development.

Beyond these fields, AI is being applied in advertising, cultural tourism, handicraft production and product design, helping improve productivity, quality and competitiveness.

Despite these opportunities, experts warn that AI adoption also presents significant challenges.

Dr Trần Kim Bá of the Việt Nam Academy of Social Sciences said copyright is among the most pressing concerns, as AI models are trained on vast datasets containing images, music, books and films, increasing the risk of copyright infringement and the unauthorised use of creative works.

Another major obstacle is data availability. Much of Việt Nam's cultural heritage and historical archives have yet to be digitised, limiting AI's ability to learn from and generate content that reflects the country's cultural identity.

A shortage of skilled professionals also remains a bottleneck. Cultural industries require a workforce with both artistic expertise and digital and AI capabilities, but such interdisciplinary talent remains scarce. Meanwhile, the high costs of data infrastructure and licensed software make AI adoption difficult for many small and medium-sized enterprises and independent artists.

Industry insiders say Việt Nam can learn from countries that have successfully integrated AI into their cultural sectors. The Republic of Korea uses AI to analyse audience preferences, automate translation, support music and film production, and promote Korean cultural content globally. China has focused on AI applications in filmmaking and video games, while Singapore has developed digital museums and libraries, and Japan continues to advance AI in its animation industry.

Việt Nam is widely seen as having strong potential in video games, music, film and animation inspired by folk culture.

Founder and CEO of DigiTech Solutions Hoàng Văn Tâm said AI should be used in Việt Nam to process data, support research, generate ideas and optimise workflows, while humans remain responsible for setting values, verifying content and making final decisions.

To maximise AI's benefits, coordinated policies covering regulation, technology and workforce development are needed.

Vietnamese language, history, traditions and indigenous knowledge could be incorporated into AI training datasets to ensure AI-assisted content reflects the country's cultural identity, according to experts. Those working in the cultural sector could review AI-generated work to prevent inaccuracies, homogenisation and the erosion of national identity.

Developing workers' skills and strengthening partnerships between arts and technology training institutions are also crucial to build a workforce that is both creative and technologically proficient.

Đặng Trần Cường, director of the Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said laws should both protect intellectual property and encourage innovation.

Ethical AI use is equally essential without clear legal frameworks and ethical standards, AI could undermine creativity, cultural identity and the livelihoods of creative workers.

While AI can enhance creativity, it cannot replace the human emotions, lived experiences and cultural values that define artistic creation, Bá said, adding that the true value of any cultural product lies in the beauty distilled from the cultural identity and heritage of its community and nation. — VNA/VNS