VinAI Visit

February 26, 2025
Hanoi, Vietnam





VinAI Visit

February 26, 2025
Hanoi, Vietnam VinAI is a leading artificial intelligence company based in Hanoi and Cho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was started by Dr. Bùi Hải Hưng (also known as Hung Bui) who I met during a poster session at Google when I was still an AI Resident at Google in 2018. At that time, Dr Hung Bui was just about to leave Google to start VinAI in Vietnam. Now 7 years later, I had the wonderful privilege to meet him again in person directly in VinAI’s Hanoi office.

I was particularly excited about VinAI because the company represents what is possible in AI research powered by Southeast Asian talent and resources. This is particularly important in an age where AI Agents and LLM’s are dominated by US tech companies who often have interests which diverge from those in ASEAN. VinAI also has a thriving AI Residency program, which I learned from Dr Hung Bui was modeled after the Google AI Residency program that I was part of. It was a great experience to meet some of the current AI Residents at VinAI in a fireside chat to talk about my experience as an AI Researcher who has worked in the US and in China.