The dangers of abusing technology and neglecting thinking - Part 3: Overcoming and correcting from the Party cell and each cadre and Party member (Continued and end)

Strengthening political consciousness from the "cells" of the Party

Mr. Nguyen Trung, a 50-year Party member in Ho Chi Minh City, told a small but thoughtful story. During a neighborhood party, he asked permission to leave early to prepare the content for the Party cell meeting. A young Party member immediately grabbed his hand and smiled humorously: “Don’t worry! Just give me a few ideas, I’ll use artificial intelligence (AI) to write a draft in three notes. You can make it as long or short as you want.”

The story seemed to be just a joke but it evoked in the veteran party member a sense of anxiety and worry. If even the preparation of the content of the party cell meeting - a political task that requires reflection, experience and responsibility of each individual and the party committee - had to rely on AI, would the party cell still be a place to train, challenge and foster the thinking and real political awareness of cadres and party members?

Illustration photo: vov.vn

Party cell activities are a measure of the vitality of grassroots party organizations. In the digital age, besides the advantages that technology brings, we are clearly facing the risk of abusing technology and neglecting thinking. Drafting a document, document, draft... at the party cell level, if using AI, can be done in just "three notes", instead of the secretary and the party committee having to spend all day researching and preparing.

But then, can AI perceive and understand the soul of the Party, the breath of life from the grassroots, the thoughts, feelings, aspirations, suggestions... of the masses? And then, can the quality of Party cell activities escape the disease of formalism, perfunctoriness, generality, activities for the sake of it...? The story seems small, but finding a thorough answer is not easy!

On July 23, 2025, the Secretariat issued Directive No. 50-CT/TW on "Continuing to innovate and improve the quality of Party cell activities in the new period". The Directive affirms: Improving the quality of Party cell activities is an urgent requirement, of special significance, contributing to building a clean and strong Party in all aspects, fulfilling the role and mission of leading the country to develop richly and prosperously in the new era.

The Secretariat requires fundamental and comprehensive innovation in the content and form of activities in a practical, effective, and regulated manner, suitable for each type of Party cell, associated with political tasks and studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style. In the current context, this is a stern reminder that: The work of overcoming and correcting shortcomings and limitations in Party building and rectification, preventing and combating degradation (including the abuse of technology and neglect of thinking) must be carried out synchronously and comprehensively, starting from the Party cell - the "cell" of the Party and from each cadre and Party member, with discipline in thinking and discipline in using technology.

Frankly speaking, we see that in reality, there are still many Party cells that are confused in preparing and organizing activities. Minutes and resolutions in many places are so similar that only the names of localities and units are changed; reports are read out with only dry data, lacking analysis and practical breath.

There are even party cells that "outsource" the drafting work to office assistants, and then the assistants turn to AI tools to create very long and beautiful documents and reports, but they are empty and poor in ideas. As a result, discussions become bland, resolutions are general, and the fighting power of party cells is reduced. This situation has been clearly pointed out in Directive 50 of the Secretariat: The work of preparing content, leading discussions, and issuing resolutions in many party cells has not met the requirements...; thematic activities are still heavily theoretical, lacking connection with political tasks and Party building work at the grassroots level. In some places, there is disunity, even loss of fighting power...

In the new situation, the urgent requirement is to fundamentally and comprehensively innovate Party cell activities. Not only innovation in form but more importantly innovation in content and method. Party cell activities must go straight to the urgent issues of the unit and locality; must be a place where each Party member dares to speak, dares to debate, dares to take responsibility. Technology can support data synthesis, document presentation, and quick information connection, but the political subject is the human being, each cadre and Party member.

If the way of life is not changed, if somewhere cadres and party members have a lazy mentality, allowing artificial intelligence to replace human intelligence in drafting documents and resolutions, the party cell will no longer be a "forge" for political qualities. Innovation in party cell activities is a "political order", a "shield" to prevent formalism, arouse the spirit of learning, independent thinking of cadres and party members and the fighting strength of the party organization.

Use technology in the right place, right job, right purpose

In the digital age, technology, especially AI, needs to be used in the right place, for the right job, and for the right purpose. We need to use AI to make information transparent, monitor progress, and remind cadres and party members; but it absolutely cannot be used to replace human thinking and political responsibility. The most important thing is the example set by leaders. Party cell secretaries and heads of Party committees at all levels must set an example in implementation, closely direct, inspect, and urge regularly.

Directive 50 of the Secretariat warned of the situation of being too theoretical and losing combativeness in Party cell activities. To overcome and rectify, it is necessary to consistently implement the motto that all opinions in activities must be concretized into tasks, solutions, and detailed recommendations, not falling into empty debate, generalities, perfunctoriness, vagueness, or speaking to please each other.

The Party cell is the foundation of the Party, the “forge” of the will, intelligence and mettle of Party members. If the Party cell activities are formal, theoretical and overuse technology, that foundation will weaken. On the contrary, if the activities are innovative, practical, disciplined and effective, it will be a solid “fortress” against all signs of degradation, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” from early on, from afar, from the starting point.

Overcoming and correcting shortcomings and limitations from the abuse of technology and neglect of thinking must start from the Party cell and each cadre and Party member, with serious and self-conscious thinking and technological discipline, through criticism and self-criticism activities. That is the way for the Party cell's resolutions not to remain on paper but to actually enter life, and is also the way to foster the spirit of self-study, research to improve qualifications; self-training the political mettle of each cadre and Party member...

LU NGAN