“Legal rigidity will stifle creativity. VCCI hopes that the AI Law will not only be a management tool, but a foundation for Vietnam to become a regional AI innovation hub," said Deputy Secretary-General of VCCI Dau Anh Tuan.
Speaking at the workshop "Contributing to the Completion of the Draft Artificial Intelligence Law," co-organized by the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on October 15, Mr. Tuan noted that legalizing AI needs to be accompanied by effective mechanisms for updating, testing, and policy feedback, as AI is a rapidly changing field.
Mr. Tran Van Khai, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, highlighted that the rapid development of AI poses many challenges regarding legality, ethics, responsibility, and safety. This necessitates a legal framework that both manages strictly and encourages development.
The draft Law has approached many contents in line with international standards, such as risk-based management, controlled testing mechanisms (sandboxes), ethics and human rights, along with regulations on transparency and accountability. Specifically, the draft proposes classifying and managing AI systems according to levels of risk, safety, security, and ethical compliance.
Speaking at the workshop, businesses, lawyers, and experts provided in-depth feedback to refine the legal framework, with a particular focus on reducing the burden of compliance and supporting development.
This includes minimizing administrative burdens and ensuring flexibility in processes. There was a consensus that administrative barriers for businesses, especially startups and small enterprises, need to be minimized, while clarifying responsibilities within the AI value chain.
To facilitate the development of innovative technology, delegates suggested that the State should soon issue basic guidelines for digital transformation and AI deployment (e.g., chatbots) to comply with requirements for transparency, data protection, and accountability.
At the same time, specific policies, regulations, or standards are needed for high-risk or key projects to give businesses confidence in implementation. A controlled testing mechanism (sandbox) should be established with practical steps, such as sending AI governance experts to support businesses and providing specific frameworks and templates that are easy to follow (e.g., Singapore's AI Verify model).
Mr. Dau Anh Tuan also emphasized the need for serious investment in data and computing infrastructure, as this is the "lifeline" of AI. Simultaneously, there is a need to build systematic training programs and guidance on AI ethics, AI risks, and proper AI usage skills, deployed from a general to an in-depth level for different target groups.
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