A recent survey conducted by Cisco has revealed that only 27% of organizations in Vietnam are fully prepared to deploy and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered technologies. The findings shed light on the state of AI readiness in the country, highlighting challenges and opportunities in the AI landscape.
Global survey highlights AI readiness
Based on a survey of over 8,000 global companies, Cisco’s inaugural AI Readiness Index underscores the growing impact of AI on businesses worldwide. While AI adoption has been gradual over the years, recent advancements in Generative AI and increased public availability have brought AI to the forefront of business considerations.
Challenges in data integration
One of the key challenges identified in the report is the integration of AI with existing data. A significant 68% of respondents admitted to facing difficulties due to data existing in silos across their organizations. This data fragmentation poses a serious obstacle to the effective deployment of AI technologies.
Positive signs of preparation
Despite the challenges, there are positive signs of preparation within Vietnamese organizations. Notably, 99% of the surveyed organizations either have a robust AI strategy or are actively developing one. This proactive approach is reflected in the fact that more than 87% of organizations are classified as Pacesetters or Chasers, indicating varying degrees of readiness. Only a mere 2% fall into the category of Laggards, signaling a significant level of focus from C-Suite executives and IT leadership.
Urgency in AI deployment
The survey results also highlight a sense of urgency among respondents to deploy AI technologies. Almost all participants stated that the urgency to deploy AI technologies in their organizations had increased in the past six months. Furthermore, IT infrastructure and cybersecurity were identified as the top priority areas for AI deployments.
Words from a Cisco executive
Liz Centoni, Executive Vice President and General Manager of applications and Chief Strategy Officer at Cisco, emphasized the need for organizations to assess their infrastructure to support AI workloads effectively. She also stressed the importance of observing how AI is used to ensure return on investment, security, and responsibility.
“As companies rush to deploy AI solutions, they must assess where investments are needed to ensure their infrastructure can best support the demands of AI workloads. Organizations also need to be able to observe with context how AI is being used to ensure ROI, security, and especially responsibility,” said Liz Centoni.
Survey methodology
The Cisco AI Readiness Index is based on a double-blind survey of 8,161 private sector business and IT leaders across 30 markets. The survey focused on companies with 500 or more employees and assessed their AI readiness across six key pillars: strategy, infrastructure, data, talent, governance, and culture. Each organization received an overall readiness score, and four groups were identified based on their readiness levels: Pacesetters, Chasers, Followers, and Laggards.
The Cisco AI Readiness Index paints a mixed picture of AI readiness in Vietnam. While there is a strong commitment to developing AI strategies and a sense of urgency in deploying AI technologies, the challenges posed by data fragmentation cannot be overlooked. To fully harness the potential of AI, organizations in Vietnam must prioritize data integration and invest in the necessary infrastructure and cybersecurity measures.
As the world continues to embrace AI-powered technologies, Vietnamese businesses have an opportunity to seize the benefits of AI, but success will depend on their ability to address these critical challenges and bridge the AI readiness gap.
