Vietnam has the highest proportion of workers classified as "AI-forward professionals" in Southeast Asia, a Microsoft survey has found.

The U.S. tech company released its 2026 Work Trend Index on June 24 showing that 39% of Vietnam's workforce falls into the frontier professional category, the term the company uses for people who use AI proficiently and integrate the technology into their daily work. This is far higher than the global average of 16%.

This year, Microsoft did not release a regional report, publishing only a global report while analyzing individual markets separately, including Vietnam.

It used anonymized productivity data on Microsoft 365 and a survey of 2,000 knowledge workers in Vietnam to compile the report.

Earlier, it had released the Global AI Diffusion report, which ranked Vietnam second in Southeast Asia for AI adoption.

According to Microsoft, AI-forward professionals have a deep understanding of workflows, the mechanisms of human-AI collaboration, and quality standards that can be documented and replicated across multiple levels of an organization.

They also help build "frontier firms" by converting individual experience into collective organizational capability, enabling knowledge to accumulate continuously and creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

People explore AI at an event in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2026. Photo by Bao Lam

The report also highlights the value of AI for knowledge workers in Vietnam, with 76% of respondents saying they are now producing work or outcomes that would not have been possible a year ago. Among AI-forward professionals, that figure rises to 83%, above the global average.

Despite their frequent use of AI, Vietnamese workers are not seen as overly dependent on the technology, with 89% saying they treat AI-generated outputs as a starting point for their own thinking rather than a final answer, and they continue to play an active role in evaluating, analyzing, and taking responsibility for their decisions.

AI-forward professionals also tend to proactively maintain their own professional skills, according to Microsoft. More than half said they carry out some tasks without AI to keep their abilities honed, and take time to determine which parts of their work should be delegated to AI and which require human judgment.

Another positive signal from Vietnam is that 48% of organizational leaders have a clear and consistent direction on AI, well above the global average of 26%.

One in three respondents said they are recognized or rewarded when they experiment with new ways of working with AI, even when results are not immediate.

Nevertheless, "behind these positive signals lies growing pressure to adapt."

Four in five Vietnamese respondents said they worry about being left behind if they do not quickly adapt and apply AI to their work. The global figure is 65%.

Microsoft calls this the "transformation paradox": Workers want to change fast, but the evaluation systems, operational processes, and incentive mechanisms within organizations have not kept pace.

"The speed of AI adoption in Vietnam reflects the enormous potential of its workforce and economy to seize new opportunities from technology," Dhanawat Suthumpun, Microsoft’s managing director for emerging markets including Vietnam, said.

Dhanawat Suthumpun on June 24, 2026. Photo by Luu Quy

He said technology does not create transformation on its own, and as workers become increasingly proficient and harness new AI-enabled capabilities, leaders must ensure that operational systems and governance are also updated accordingly.

"The organizations leading in the AI era are those that use AI to reshape how work gets done, unlock new productivity models, and create more value for both employees and customers," he said.