95% of Vietnamese businesses use AI but only 15% record increased revenue

(Dan Tri) - After a period of businesses stepping up research and testing of AI, the question is shifting quite quickly from "What can AI do?" to “How does AI really create value at enterprise scale?”.

New data from the business community shows that AI is widely present in daily operations. According to the survey report on the Status of AI Applications in Vietnamese Enterprises (coordinated by 3HORIZONS and CIO Vietnam), the level of access to AI in enterprises has increased rapidly.

AI is popular, but not yet synonymous with enterprise-scale AI

Approximately 95% of respondents to the current questionnaire noted GenAI being used at the individual/user level; 59% have introduced AI into AI-enabled workflows; and 36% have embedded AI in an application or business process.

AI is widely present in daily operations of businesses (Photo: CIO Vietnam).

At a more proactive level, 33% said businesses are developing or customizing AI solutions themselves and 20% have deployed field- or business-specific AI. However, only about 7% noted forms of AI capable of operating with a high degree of autonomy.

The notable point is not in the individual ratios but in the gap between the level of application and scalability. The growing popularity of AI among employees does not necessarily mean that AI is integrated into core processes, can scale across multiple operations, and produces measurable business results.

"AI has been used very widely, but wide application does not mean deployment at enterprise scale, and scale does not mean business value. The important question now is how to turn AI from individual tools into a scalable, measurable and accountable capability," Dr. Tran Viet Huan, Chairman of CIO Vietnam, shared.

Another notable signal is that about 44% of respondents reported testing or using AI agents. This number shows that Agentic AI is quickly entering enterprise operations, although the level of implementation and maturity is still very different.

The contrast between the rapidly growing reach of AI agents and the roughly 7% rate recording forms of AI with high levels of autonomy also shows that businesses are approaching giving autonomy to AI quite cautiously.

Value at enterprise scale remains a challenge

Survey data also shows that the value from AI has not appeared equally in all aspects of the business. About 90% noted a positive impact on employee productivity, 62% said AI supports faster or better decision making, and 52% noted an impact on innovation.

Meanwhile, outcomes more directly tied to financial and market performance appear at lower rates. About 33% noted cost savings, while 23% noted improved customer experience and only 15% noted revenue growth.

The report shows that only 15% of businesses applying AI recorded revenue growth (Photo: CIO Vietnam).

As AI moves from testing to operations, the harder problems increasingly lie outside the technology itself.

Businesses need reliable data, good integration with existing systems, scalable infrastructure, AI and data capabilities, business and technology synergies, change management, security and privacy, as well as the ability to manage costs and measure value.

"When AI goes from testing to actual operation, the biggest challenge is no longer just choosing technology. Businesses must clearly identify the business problem that needs to be solved, who owns the results, how to measure the value and how to make technology, data and people work together towards a common goal," said Mr. Tran Nhat Minh, Deputy General Director and CIO VIB, Head of the CIO Vietnam Advisory Board, Conference Chair - CIO Summit 2026, commented.