At the announcement ceremony of the Au Lac Grand Prize held on January 12, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan assessed the award as a practically meaningful initiative, contributing to concretizing important policies of the Party and the State, and creating an effective connection space between research, application and international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
The award is of profound significance to the Vietnamese community around the globe. This is an important bridge between Vietnamese scientists, experts, and technology entrepreneurs living, studying and working abroad and the domestic innovation ecosystem" - Deputy Minister Le Anh Tuan said, affirming his commitment to accompany through scientific and technological diplomacy activities, contributing to connecting the network of Vietnamese and international experts, joining hands for the development of artificial intelligence in Vietnam.
Also at the ceremony, Mr. Truong Gia Binh - Chairman of the Board of Directors of FPT Group, Chairman of the Au Lac AI Alliance - said that in the context of development based on science and technology, innovation and human resource quality, Vietnam "cannot just be a country using technology, but must master technology itself".
According to Mr. Binh, this is the reason why the alliance is implementing the Au Lac Grand Prize, with the expectation of encouraging the spirit of mastering technology and contributing to affirming Vietnam's intellectual position on the global technology map.
We want to create strong motivation for the Vietnamese technology community to develop together, apply AI responsibly and more importantly, arouse the spirit of dedication, mastering technology, solving major problems of the country, bringing Vietnam on par with advanced countries" - Mr. Binh said.
Regarding the goals and scale of the award, the organizers said that Au Lac Grand Prize will honor AI products and solutions developed and owned by Vietnamese people, creating a strong and sustainable impact on socio-economics. The award is expected to be awarded for three consecutive years, starting from 2026.
The appraisal council includes leading AI experts, scientists, technology business leaders, investment fund representatives, universities and the domestic and international innovation community, to ensure independence, objectivity and global standards in the evaluation process.
In addition to the million USD prize, the winning individual and organization also receives long-term companionship through strategic advisory activities, professional support and connection to the international market from the Au Lac AI Alliance, FPT Group and partners.
Regarding the selection criteria, Au Lac Grand Prize focuses on evaluating AI products and solutions that have been completed and implemented in practice, based on a specific system of criteria on impact, innovation, sustainability, scalability and compliance with AI ethics principles.
Key criteria include: Impact - solutions that have been implemented, creating economic or social benefits that can be measured in Vietnam; innovation and mastery of technology - showing breakthrough thinking about technology, deployment models or approaches to problems; sustainability - ensuring long-term sustainability, scale expansion and efficient use of resources.
The award is expected to open the online registration gateway from March, end application submission in July, organize the preliminary round in August, the final round in October and award prizes in November.
Participants are Vietnamese citizens and organizations whose product and solution development team leaders are Vietnamese citizens, regardless of age or field of activity. Individuals and organizations participating in the contest need to commit that the product and solution is legal intellectual property, developed, owned and exploited by Vietnamese people in accordance with legal regulations.
