A law regulating artificial intelligence (AI) has come into effect in Vietnam, making it the first country in South-East Asia with a comprehensive framework on the booming technology.
Passed by the National Assembly in December, the law focuses on the risks posed by generative AI, requiring human oversight and control along the lines of the European Union’s landmark AI Act.
Many nations are moving to address the dangers of chatbots and image generators – from misinformation to online abuse and copyright violations – but few have enacted legislation.
The legislation, which came into force yesterday, “paves the way for Vietnam to deeply integrate with international standards while maintaining digital sovereignty,” the government said in a December report.
It requires companies to clearly label content generated by AI such as deepfakes that cannot readily be differentiated from reality.
It also requires them to disclose to customers when they are interacting with an artificial rather than human agent.
The law applies to developers as well as providers and deployers of the technology, whether they are Vietnamese organisations or foreign entities operating in the country.
Vietnam has set ambitious double-digit growth targets for the next five years, with expansion of the digital economy a key part of its national development strategy.
AI and the data economy are “pillars” of a “more sustainable and smarter new development” model, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was quoted as saying on Wednesday on the government’s website.
Under the law, the government will establish a national AI computing centre, improved data resources and large language models in Vietnamese.
So far only a handful of countries have implemented far-reaching regulatory frameworks on AI.
The United States has opposed what Vice-President JD Vance called “excessive regulation”, warning it could stifle innovation in the key sector.
In January, South Korea became the first country to have an AI law take full effect, while the European Union is gradually phasing in a set of rules that will become completely applicable in 2027. — AFP
