Agentic AI Is Here: What Does It Mean for Data Centers in Vietnam?

As agentic AI grows in popularity, data center operators might do well to ask the same questions they did about generative AI two or three years ago. In Vietnam, with the rapid development of the IT industry, this question becomes particularly crucial for the future of data centers across the country.

What Is Agentic AI?

Agentic AI is fundamentally different from generative AI. While generative AI focuses on creating new content, agentic AI consists of intelligent agents capable of performing complex tasks autonomously, making decisions and taking independent actions to achieve predetermined goals.

According to Dr. Duong Van Thinh, Chairman of AI & Data Center Club - Vietnam and VP of AI Technology at Veron Group, the current situation in Vietnam shows positive signs: "Vietnamese enterprises are increasingly investing in data center infrastructure to meet the growing demand from advanced AI applications."

What Does Agentic AI Mean for Data Centers?

Increased Data Center Demand

The emergence of agentic AI is creating a new wave of demand for data centers. However, notably, there will probably be less demand for expensive AI chips optimized for training than for less expensive hardware that can handle inference.

In Vietnam, companies like Viettel, FPT, and VNPT have begun expanding their data center infrastructure to meet this demand. Specifically, Viettel IDC has invested over 2,000 billion VND to build data centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while FPT has deployed a data center system in Da Nang with a capacity of up to 10MW.

Assisting in Data Center Management

AI agents could revolutionize how data centers are managed, potentially reducing human intervention while optimizing resource allocation and energy consumption. However, AI agents are less likely to be useful for management tasks that involve physical hardware, since software agents can't do things that extend beyond the realm of software.

The Autonomous Agent Revolution

As agentic AI evolves, data centers face both challenges and opportunities. In Vietnam, enterprises are finding ways to leverage this technology to enhance operational efficiency.

A concrete example is Saigon Co.op's deployment of AI systems to manage supply chains and optimize warehousing, helping save up to 30% in operational costs. Similarly, Techcombank has used AI agents to automate credit approval processes, reducing processing time from 7 days to 24 hours.

Dr. Duong Van Thinh observes: "Vietnam is in a favorable position to embrace the agentic AI revolution. With a young, technologically skilled workforce and strong government support policies, we can become an important technology hub in the region."

The Vietnamese government's National Digital Transformation Program until 2025 has allocated significant resources to AI development, with specific focus on data center infrastructure. Major tech parks in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are being expanded to accommodate AI-focused data centers, with investments exceeding $2 billion in the next three years.

Local telecommunications giant Viettel has partnered with international cloud providers to establish AI-ready data centers, while FPT Corporation has launched its AI Platform services specifically designed for agentic AI workloads. These developments position Vietnam as a regional leader in AI infrastructure.

The future of data centers in Vietnam will be shaped by their ability to adapt to agentic AI technology. Enterprises need to prepare for these changes to avoid falling behind in the global technology race. The shift toward inference-optimized hardware presents both cost savings opportunities and new technical challenges that Vietnamese data center operators must navigate carefully.

As agentic AI continues to mature, Vietnam's data center industry stands at a critical juncture, with the potential to transform from a regional player to a significant force in the global AI infrastructure landscape.