At CIO Summit 2026, technology leaders, business leaders, and experts will discuss the challenge of bringing AI from experimentation into operation and creating real value in business activities.

On October 1st, over 500 technology leaders, business leaders, and experts are expected to attend the CIO Summit 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City, organized by CIO Vietnam. With the theme “Human-Led, AI-First: From Pilots to P&L,” the forum will focus on a key issue of concern for many businesses: how to move AI beyond the experimental phase and become a value-creating capability in business operations.

At the panel discussion “Ask CIO, CEO Anything About AI,” Mr. Dao Ngoc Dung, Director of Information Technology at SHB, will join Mr. Le Hong Minh, Founder and Chairman of VNG; Mr. Tran Cong Quynh Lan, Deputy General Director and CIO of VietinBank; Mr. Luu Danh Duc, Deputy General Director of Sacombank; and other speakers to discuss practical issues in the process of implementing AI in businesses.

This year’s CIO Summit theme was selected for the first time through a vote by the Vietnamese CIO community. The three pillars, SCALE, TRUST, and LEAD, revolve around the requirements for expanding AI applications, building trust and governance capabilities, and clarifying the role of leadership in transforming technology into business results.

Technology must create value for people and businesses.

In the banking sector, the scope of AI applications is expanding, from data analysis and process automation to risk management, customer service, and product development. As technology becomes more accessible, the challenge for organizations is no longer simply “whether or not to apply AI,” but rather where to apply it, at what scale, and what value it will create.

This is also the approach that SHB is pursuing during its transformation process.

The bank identifies technology as one of the key drivers of growth, with a 5-FIRST strategy: Data & AI First, People First, Cloud First, Security First, and Mobile First. Data & AI First places data and artificial intelligence at the foundation of innovation, from operations and management to product development and enhancing customer experience.

According to Mr. Do Quang Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy General Director of SHB, the bank aims to build a modern technology platform, where technology not only serves to increase scale but also contributes to improving productivity and operational efficiency.

Investing in technology is closely linked to human resources. AI, in particular, and digital tools in general, are expected to help employees process tasks faster, reduce repetitive tasks, support decision-making, and dedicate more resources to value-creating work.

This also represents a convergence between SHB’s strategic direction and the theme of the CIO Summit 2026: AI-first but human-led – technology plays a crucial role in innovation, but humans remain the key players in choosing the problem, deciding how to apply it, and creating value from it.

SHB applies the “5 First” principle to build a foundation for a modern, secure, and flexible digital bank.

Connecting resources to promote AI applications.

The process of applying AI in businesses cannot take place solely within the technology department. Requirements for data, infrastructure, information security, governance, and human resources demand coordination across multiple departments and the involvement of partners within the technology ecosystem.

In that direction, SHB is expanding cooperation with domestic and international technology companies, thereby gradually improving its digital infrastructure and promoting the application of AI in operations, management, and product development. This is also part of the process of realizing its positioning as a “new generation national-level bank”.

Alongside investing in technology, SHB focuses on developing its technology workforce, prioritizing the recruitment of personnel with expertise in technology, data, AI, and related fields. It also connects with the expert community, universities, and organizations working in the AI sector. The bank partners with programs such as Hack (CX) Together and the Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge, thereby creating opportunities for young people to access knowledge, technology, and practical business problems, while contributing to the identification and connection of future technology talent.

According to this approach, innovation comes not only from investing in a new system or technology, but also from the ability to learn, share experiences, and connect with the right resources to solve real-world problems.

The CIO Summit 2026 is therefore an opportunity for the technology leadership community to exchange views on the challenges as AI moves from the experimental phase to deeper deployment in business operations.