Meta VP discusses AI’s role in Vietnam’s digital economy

Benjamin Joe, vice president of Meta, Southeast Asia

How would you explain the value of Meta's substantial AI investments to a sceptical stakeholder or client?

We have committed more than $100 billion over the past 10 years. This investment started even before AI became a widely discussed topic.

One example of AI's impact is noticeable in our newsfeeds. The newsfeeds users see are different from one another due to its personalised recommendations based on individual preferences. The difference lies in the personalisation driven by AI technology.

AI is increasingly needed for businesses. For advertisers, spending $1 on Meta’s platform can yield a return of $3.47, making it a highly efficient model for Vietnamese companies looking to reach their target audience locally and globally.

Furthermore, I recently met a client and a developer aiming to build a product for a global audience, not just the local market of 100 million people in Vietnam. They aspire to create an application used by billions of people worldwide. We are collaborating closely with them to leverage our Llama open-source model and marketing solutions.

We have also launched our Meta AI app, an interactive personal assistant, in 42 countries and 13 languages, including Vietnamese. This ensures accessibility for local users right from the start.

Our new Edit app aims to assist creators by simplifying the content creation process. With this app, creators can easily enhance their videos and photos without extensive effort or expertise, thereby encouraging more engaging content.

We're launching a new Meta AI stand-alone app built with Llama 4, a first step towards building a more personal AI. People around the world use Meta AI daily across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. This release is the first version, and we’re excited to get this in people’s hands and gather their feedback.

Can you share measurable examples of how Vietnamese businesses are using Meta’s AI tools to great effect?

There are hundreds of stories about improving performance based on AI apps. For examples, Viettel's GenAl-Powered Legal Virtual Assistant, powered by Llama 3.3, revolutionises legal information retrieval via web and mobile platforms. Viettel developed an AI model based on our Llama framework to improve their employees' efficiency in searching legal documents, saving 30 per cent of the time typically spent on such tasks.

Co Mem HomeLab is a Vietnam-born natural skincare and haircare brand. As an early adopter of Meta’s AI ad solutions, Co Mem was excited to adopt Advantage+ Creatives in their creative strategy, with the business objective of increasing purchases. By adding their catalogue items through Advantage+ Creatives, they were able to drive better performance for their campaign with 1.4x increase in Meta Purchases; 30 per cent decrease in Cost per Meta Purchases; 1.4x increase in Purchase ROAS.

Vietnamese businesses are renowned for their high rates of AI adoption. How would you leverage this to help local companies grow?

I noticed during my meetings that Vietnam ranks among the highest in Southeast Asia. 73 per cent of Vietnamese consumers are comfortable communicating with businesses through AI chatbots, according to Factworks and Meta's 2023 Business Communications Tracking Survey.

93 per cent of businesses use AI tools, mainly for customer communication, which is about 66 per cent, and accessing new customers at 63 per cent, according to Deloitte.

Many companies are developing their models based on our Llama open-source framework, indicating a strong inclination towards global reach.

Given that Vietnam has a young, dynamic population, I believe this is an exciting time for AI adoption and advancement. We are committed to investing significantly in helping Vietnamese companies grow, both locally and internationally.

The 2025 Meta Marketing Summit Vietnam took place in Hanoi on May 8

How is Meta addressing user concerns about data privacy and security?

We are actively collaborating with organisations and governments and have launched an AI literacy programme with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) and Vietnam National University.

We are keen to engage in discussions about regulations and data security to ensure that user data is adequately protected.

Can you tell us about Meta's latest initiatives in Vietnam, and what's next for AI development in the market?

In March this year, we launched Project ViGen in partnership with the National Innovation Centre and the AI for Vietnam Foundation. ViGen’s mission is to build high-quality, open-source Vietnamese datasets to help train large language models that understand local culture, context, and idiom. This is about making sure that the future of AI is not just global, but also deeply local, aligned with Vietnamese values and voice.

A credit-earning AI literacy curriculum has been developed by the USSH and Vietnam National University. The new AI literacy curriculum focuses on the core competencies students will need to navigate AI safely and responsibly. A short version of the course was launched in January for 800 students and for 150 academics. The full credit-earning curriculum will be launched in this summer and made available in-person and online.

Vietnam Meta AI Hackathon is a collaborative initiative that brings together developers, partners, and innovators to co-create AI-powered solutions for SMBs in Vietnam to grow with Meta. 12 partners in Vietnam embarked on a four-week journey where they received Meta’s engineering mentorship in creating AI-powered solutions. The winner was Chotdon.AI, focusing on AI Catalog Creation. This solution aids small businesses in Vietnam by creating high-quality, Meta-compliant product catalogues, enhancing product descriptions, and using AI to generate short videos to boost ad performance and sales.

We hosted the Meta AI in Wonderland day in April for Vietnam’s creators, media, and business partners to experience first-hand Meta AI and AI studio - our key AI products. Meta AI and AI studio are now available for free, for everyone in Vietnam to try and use in the apps that they are familiar with and love such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook or Instagram.

Meta has expanded manufacturing of our latest Mixed Reality device, Quest 3S, to Vietnam since early 2025. Working with our third-party supplier, we estimate that the establishment of the new manufacturing partner will help the creation of up to 1,000 jobs and generate over millions of dollars for the Vietnamese economy. This manufacturing expansion follows years of expanding our device accessories portfolio production in Vietnam, and demonstrates both our commitment to the country and the capabilities of the market.

Additionally, we recognise the need for a large pool of AI engineers. We are committed to fostering the developer community through initiatives like hackathons and partnerships with educational institutions. We aim to equip both students and professionals with hands-on experience, enabling them to build and market their products effectively.

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