As traditional growth drivers lose momentum, Vietnam’s largest economic hub faces mounting pressure to embrace artificial intelligence and strengthen its institutions. The city’s leaders say this shift is essential to sustain future prosperity.

AI has become a major force reshaping production, public governance and economic structures. The World Economic Forum projects that 92 million jobs could be displaced while 170 million new roles emerge by 2030, putting nearly 40% of workers’ skills at risk.

Economic success will increasingly depend on how quickly countries can prepare their people, institutions and data systems for change. In this new era, uncertainty is a defining condition, so the ability to adapt matters more than sheer economic size.

International experts urged Ho Chi Minh City to strengthen the government’s role, expand lifelong‑learning programmes such as Singapore’s SkillsFuture, and create regulatory sandboxes that let new AI technologies be tested safely. These steps are seen as crucial to foster AI innovation and attract private investment.

The city must turn to AI and institutional reform if it wants to keep its growth trajectory. By preparing people, upgrading institutions and using data wisely, Ho Chi Minh City can stay competitive in a rapidly changing global economy.