The National Assembly officially passed the Law on Artificial Intelligence (AI) with 429 out of 434 participating delegates (90.70%) voting in favor, on the afternoon of December 10.
Effective from March 1, 2026, the Law on AI is Vietnam's first piece of legislation to comprehensively regulate the development, application, and governance of AI.
With a high approval rate, the National Assembly affirmed strong consensus on the necessity of enacting the Law on AI. This legislation is considered a landmark achievement, establishing a pioneering legal framework to help Vietnam catch up with global AI development trends and enhance national competitiveness in the digital era.
Comprising 35 Articles, the Law is designed with a "management for development" approach, ensuring a balance between risk control and the promotion of innovation. It aligns with international practices and supports Vietnam's active integration with new technological standards.
Crucially, the Law establishes a human-centric approach, stipulating that AI is to serve humans, not replace them, and must be subject to human oversight in critical decision-making processes.
The Law lays the foundation for AI autonomy—spanning computing infrastructure, data resources, and research capabilities—enabling Vietnam to build an AI workforce strong enough to compete internationally. It authorizes State investment in a national AI computing center and the development of a controlled open data system. These directives are expected to reduce computing costs, remove market entry barriers, and foster a more competitive and transparent AI ecosystem.
The legislation also introduces provisions to accelerate AI development, such as establishing a National AI Development Fund, deploying an "AI Voucher" mechanism to support business adoption, and creating a regulatory sandbox for sensitive AI solutions. These are critical tools to mitigate risks, lower testing costs, and enable technology enterprises—particularly high-tech startups—to pilot sensitive AI applications in an environment exempt from specific legal liabilities.
Simultaneously, the Law addresses emerging issues such as AI-generated content, algorithmic ethics, and the responsibilities of cross-border AI service platforms. This paves the way for Vietnam to integrate more deeply with international standards while maintaining digital sovereignty.
A key component of the Law is its risk-based management approach. Accordingly, AI systems will be classified based on their level of impact and potential danger, with corresponding legal obligations assigned to each category. Applications posing high risks to the legal rights and interests of organizations and individuals (in sectors such as finance, healthcare, justice, labor, and education) will be required to meet stricter standards regarding data, verification, supervision, and human intervention mechanisms. This approach strikes a balance between two objectives: encouraging AI innovation and controlling potential social implications.
Alongside technological and regulatory provisions, the Law places significant emphasis on human resource development. It mandates the formulation of a long-term National AI Workforce Strategy, the integration of basic AI knowledge into general education curricula, and encourages universities to establish new majors, expand academic autonomy, and attract international experts. This national program is poised to build a high-quality pool of AI experts and engineers for the future.
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