95% of Vietnamese business leaders trust AI agents to boost productivity — world’s highest rate

Microsoft’s Work Trend Index 2025, released last week, identified Vietnam as a leading market for AI adoption, with executives expressing greater trust in AI agents and higher demand for AI talent than the global average.

The survey, done between February and March, polled 31,000 respondents in 31 countries.

When asked about integrating AI agents into teams as digital collaborators over the next 12 to 18 months, 95% of Vietnamese leaders expressed confidence, matching Indonesia and topping all other surveyed markets. The rates were 85% in China, 82% in the U.S. and 71% in France.

Microsoft noted that many Vietnamese leaders see 2025 as a pivotal year to reassess corporate strategies and operations. Some 91% of surveyed leaders are considering hiring for AI-related roles as against 78% globally. The report also found that AI startups in Vietnam are recruiting at twice the pace of major tech firms.

AI agents are becoming more integrated into the workplace. Illustration courtesy of Microsoft

Nguyen Quynh Tram, general director of Microsoft Vietnam, said AI is unlocking access to knowledge previously limited to large corporations, enabling both individuals and smaller businesses to thrive. She said technology only creates value when people are willing to embrace it.

"That means leaders must not only invest in tools but also cultivate digital thinking, strengthen digital skills within teams and promote collaboration between humans and AI agents.

"This is a crucial factor for Vietnamese businesses to accelerate and break through in the AI era."

The report also introduced the concept of "Frontier Firms" or businesses built around on-demand intelligence, human-agent teamwork and agent-led management, and held up Vietnamese companies such as FPT, Vietnam Airlines, VietinBank, and VinBrain as examples.

Globally, only 37% of employees said their companies were growing rapidly, while the rate was nearly double at Vietnam’s frontier firms, the report noted. It also said 38% of Vietnamese business leaders are considering workforce reductions, while 91% are exploring new roles tied to AI, such as AI agent specialists, AI professionals, and AI workforce managers.

As AI agents become more integrated into the workplace, Microsoft expects the rise of "agent bosses," professionals who design, assign and oversee AI agents, to improve efficiency. "From executives to frontline staff, everyone will need to think like the CEO of a startup powered by AI agents," a Microsoft representative said.

According to a separate report released last week by the National Innovation Center, AI is expected to contribute US$120 billion-130 billion to Vietnam’s economy by 2040, including $45–55 billion generated by consumer demand for AI-powered products and services and $60–75 billion in cost savings from improved productivity through automation, predictive analytics and performance enhancements enabled by AI.