M Phuc: Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution

In a keynote address on September 24 in Hanoi at Vietnam ICT Summit 2016, the Prime Minister noted that new technologies and approaches are merging the physical, digital, and biological worlds in ways that will fundamentally alter the nation we live in.

The extent to which these change affect citizens of Vietnam in a positive manner will depend on how we as a nation navigate the risks and opportunities that arise along the way.

The Third Industrial Revolution, also known as the Digital Revolution, entailed the proliferation of computers and the automation of record keeping— but the new sea of change in the Fourth Industrial Revolution differs significantly from its predecessor.

If we are to seize the opportunities, and avoid the pitfalls, of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must consider carefully the questions that it raises. We must rethink our ideas about economic and social development, value creation, privacy and ownership of property.

The scale of the monumental challenge should not be underestimated, he underscored, noting that as a nation Vietnam must take control of technology. The decisions we make each day of our lives in government and as citizens, consumers, and investors guide technological progress.

The more we think about those decisions, the more we will examine ourselves and the social models on which we depend. As a result, we better our chances of shaping the revolution in a constructive manner that advances our common objectives and upholds our nations traditionals values.

New technologies, however remarkable they may seem, are fundamentally just tools made by people for the use of other people. We must keep this in mind, and ensure that innovation and technology continue to put people first and propell us as a nation toward sustainable and inclusive development for all.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution can represent a potent threat to our traditional values of – work, community, family, and identity – or it can lift our society into a new collective and moral consciousness based on a sense of shared destiny.

Near the conclusion of his address, the PM, challenged those in attendance to seize the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, saying the choice for the sake of the nation’s future is all of ours to make.