Vietnam has become one of the first jurisdictions in Southeast Asia to enact standalone legislation governing artificial intelligence (AI). On 10 December 2025, Vietnam’s National Assembly adopted Law No. 134/2025/QH15 on Artificial Intelligence (the AI Law)(1), which entered into force on 1 March 2026.

The legislation reflects a broader international movement towards AI-specific regulation and draws conceptual influence from the EU AI Act(2). However, Vietnam’s approach also reflects domestic priorities, particularly the promotion of human-centric and ethical digital development and increased state oversight of emerging technologies to protect Vietnam’s data sovereignty.