On April 18, 2026, the Faculty of Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT), successfully organized an academic seminar entitled “AI & Automation – From Emerging Trends to Real-World Applications” at Hall C. The event attracted the participation of more than 250 students, together with leading industry experts, to explore the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) while emphasizing the ethical responsibilities that future software engineers must uphold.

AI – The New "Heart" of Modern Software Systems

One of the seminar's central themes was the ongoing transformation from traditional hard-coded software systems to intelligent systems capable of learning, adapting, and making data-driven decisions.

The speakers highlighted that AI has become an indispensable technology across industries. Today, a large proportion of Vietnamese enterprises have integrated AI into their business operations, particularly in sectors such as e-commerce, banking, and healthcare.

Rather than serving merely as a supporting tool, AI is increasingly becoming a core component of modern software systems. It enables personalized user experiences, automates business processes, improves operational efficiency, and delivers more accurate predictive capabilities.

Professional Ethics – The Anchor in the AI Era

The keynote presentation delivered by Dr. Trinh Minh Long focused on one of the seminar's most significant topics: "The Power of AI versus AI Ethics."

While international initiatives such as the European Union AI Act and UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence continue to establish global ethical frameworks for AI, the seminar introduced the concept of the "Golden Triangle of AI Trust" as a practical guideline for future software engineers.

Within this framework:

• Ethical AI serves as the compass that guides responsible AI development.
• Responsible AI functions as the engine that drives trustworthy AI systems.
• Professional ethics acts as the anchor that keeps the entire system grounded.

The seminar emphasized that, regardless of how advanced AI becomes, the final responsibility always rests with the software engineer. Engineers ultimately decide whether a system is ready for deployment and must be accountable for every decision they make.

Another important issue discussed was the "Accountability Trap." If AI generates insecure source code or introduces vulnerabilities into a banking system, who should bear legal responsibility—the AI model, the technology provider, or the engineer who deployed the code without proper verification?

The seminar concluded with a clear principle:

"You merge it, you own it."

AI is a powerful tool, but it cannot replace human accountability. Engineers remain fully responsible for validating, testing, and approving AI-generated outputs.

The speakers also stressed that software quality is an ethical responsibility. Using AI-generated solutions without understanding the underlying logic or verifying their correctness represents a violation of professional ethics rather than merely a technical oversight.

The "Three DON'Ts" for Future AI Engineers

To help students prepare for the AI-driven workplace, the seminar introduced three practical principles:

1. Don't copy AI-generated code blindly.
   Never integrate AI-generated code into production systems without fully understanding how it works.
2. Don't expose sensitive information.
   Confidential data, proprietary source code, and business-critical information should never be shared with public AI platforms.
3. Don't compromise software quality.
   The speed and convenience offered by AI should never come at the expense of security, reliability, or software performance.

Key Takeaways

The seminar concluded with a powerful message:

"AI will not replace people, but people who know how to use AI will replace those who do not."

At the same time, the speakers emphasized that the true value of a software engineer is not measured by how quickly code is generated, but by the ability to validate, secure, and take ethical responsibility for the systems they build.

Looking ahead, the combination of system design thinking, AI orchestration skills, and a strong foundation in professional ethics will become one of the most essential competencies for Information Technology students preparing for successful careers in the age of Artificial Intelligence.