Digital transformation in banking originally just meant bringing banking services online. Now banks are leveraging data to understand their customers better, make faster decisions, manage risks, and automate more operations. Better use of technology to serve customers turns digital banking into smart banking.
Luong Tuan Thanh, a tech expert at OCB Bank, said: “AI helps us understand customers in more detail in order to develop products and services tailored to their needs. When we have AI technologies that can understand our activities and analyze risks within the system, we can automate processes and provide more optimal recommendations. This will be a core competitive capability in the future.”
In the AI era, success relies on strong tech infrastructure, clean data, fast innovation, and quick product launches. Vietnam possesses significant advantages in developing digital banking – a large population, high smartphone penetration, and rapid growth in e-commerce and digital payments.
Nguyen Xuan Hai, Acting Editor-in-Chief of the Banking Times, said: “With just one app on a smartphone, people can perform all their essential needs, from paying bills and taxes to taking out loans. This seamless connectivity will optimize the user experience and significantly reduce costs and time for society as a whole.”
Hoang Minh Tien, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam’s Department of Information Technology, said: “In the first half of 2026, payments made through digital channels increased 34%, bringing the estimated total value of cashless payments to more than 28 times GDP. The digital ecosystem now offers a wide range of convenient products and services with seamless connectivity. Many basic banking operations have been fully digitised. At many banks, 90% of services are delivered through digital channels.”
Vietnam is facing an opportunity to propel its banking sector into a new stage of development. Banks are adopting fast, smart, and safe digital changes driven by data and artificial intelligence to stay competitive.
