From Strategy to Safeguards: Assessing Vietnam’s Readiness for Ethical AI Adoption

Vietnam is rapidly embracing artificial intelligence as a core driver of economic growth and digital transformation, backed by strong political commitment, expanding research capacity, and growing adoption across sectors. However, UNESCO’s assessment finds that gaps in binding AI governance, ethics enforcement, inclusion, talent development, and environmental safeguards must be addressed to ensure AI delivers fair, sustainable, and inclusive benefits for all.

Vietnam is stepping decisively into the age of artificial intelligence, guided by a growing coalition of government agencies, research institutes, universities, and private firms. The UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report is the result of extensive work by institutions such as the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the National Institute of Digital Technology and Transformation, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam National University, and the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences. Drawing on research, consultations, and policy reviews, the report paints a detailed picture of a country eager to harness AI for development, but still building the foundations needed to govern it responsibly.

Strong Political Vision, Still-Evolving Rules

AI has become central to Vietnam’s national development strategy. Since 2019, the government has identified AI as a key driver of productivity, innovation, and competitiveness, supporting the country’s long-term ambition to become a high-income economy by 2045. This vision is reflected in the National AI Strategy, digital transformation programmes, and recent high-level Party resolutions that place science, technology, and innovation at the heart of economic reform.

However, while Vietnam has moved quickly on strategy, its legal framework for AI is still taking shape. The country has strong laws on data protection, cybersecurity, privacy, and access to information, and the 2025 Digital Technology Industry Law includes a dedicated chapter on AI. Ethical principles such as transparency, accountability, and human-centred design are increasingly recognized and aligned with UNESCO’s global AI ethics standards. Yet most of these principles are not legally binding, and there is no single national body overseeing AI ethics. This creates the risk that AI systems may be deployed unevenly across sectors, without consistent safeguards.

Trust Is High, but Inequality Remains

One of Vietnam’s strengths is public trust in digital government and technology. Internet access has expanded rapidly, mobile coverage is almost universal, and citizens generally express confidence in government data systems. These conditions provide fertile ground for AI adoption in public services, healthcare, and administration.

At the same time, the report highlights persistent social gaps that AI could worsen if not carefully managed. Women remain underrepresented in advanced AI and IT roles, despite relatively high participation in science and technology overall. Rural communities and ethnic minorities face disadvantages in access to digital infrastructure, quality education, and economic opportunities. A major concern is the lack of high-quality AI training data in Vietnamese and the near absence of usable datasets in ethnic minority languages, which raises the risk of cultural exclusion and biased AI systems.

Growing Research Power, Limited Depth

Vietnam’s AI research capacity has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Universities and corporate research labs have sharply increased the number of AI publications, placing the country among the top global contributors by volume. This growth reflects rising technical skills, international collaboration, and strong engagement from the private sector.

Yet the report notes important limitations. Overall spending on research and development remains low compared to global leaders, and innovation is concentrated mainly on applied solutions rather than foundational breakthroughs. AI-related patents are still few, and interdisciplinary research, bringing together technology, ethics, law, and social sciences, is rare. In education, more than 50 universities now offer AI-related programmes, but shortages of highly skilled specialists persist, digital infrastructure in schools is uneven, and training often lacks a broader understanding of AI’s social and ethical impacts.

The Road Ahead: Ethics, Inclusion, and Sustainability

Economically, AI is already contributing to Vietnam’s fast-growing digital economy, with high adoption among businesses and professionals. Domestic firms are increasingly developing localized AI solutions, reducing dependence on foreign technologies. However, the country faces a serious shortage of advanced AI talent and lacks a comprehensive national strategy for reskilling workers as automation reshapes labour markets.

Environmental sustainability is one of the clearest gaps in AI readiness. While Vietnam promotes green growth, the environmental impact of AI, such as energy-hungry data centres and electronic waste, has not been systematically addressed in policy or regulation.

UNESCO’s assessment concludes that Vietnam stands at a critical crossroads. The country has strong political commitment, rising technical capacity, and growing international relevance in AI. To ensure AI benefits everyone, the report urges Vietnam to strengthen laws, create clear governance institutions, invest in education and interdisciplinary research, protect inclusion and cultural diversity, and address environmental impacts. The central message is clear: ethical and inclusive AI is not a barrier to innovation, but the foundation for sustainable progress.