A visitor interacts with an AI-powered service robot in Vietnam as part of the country’s growing adoption of AI. (Vietnam News Agency)
The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Lê Tiến Châu has called for ASEAN to establish common principles for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in lawmaking and legal enforcement, as regional countries seek to adapt their legal systems to rapid technological change.
On August 18 to 19, Vietnamese DPM Châu said at the ASEAN Law Forum 2026 in Hanoi that advances in AI and big data were transforming governance while widening the gap between countries able to adapt quickly and those facing difficulties in keeping pace.
Vietnamese DPM Châu said Vietnam had made initial progress, including through the adoption of a dedicated Law on AI and the Prime Minister’s approval of a project to develop a national law portal for 2026–2030 as a unified platform for legal data.
He added that Vietnam was moving from a “governance-oriented” approach to lawmaking towards an “adaptive” and development-enabling model that would provide flexibility for technological innovation while preserving legal principles, system security and public safety.
Vietnamese DPM Châu identified Vietnam’s four priority areas for cooperation such as: developing common principles for AI in lawmaking and enforcement, sharing legal-data standards and experience in digitising legal documents, building legal and technological expertise among professionals and maintaining regional dialogue and expert networks.
He further stressed that ASEAN was well positioned to become a global pioneer in responsible AI use in the legal and judicial sectors because of its young population, rapid digital transformation and diverse legal systems.
Vietnam’s call positions AI governance as an emerging area of ASEAN cooperation, with Vietnam seeking regional rules rather than fragmented national approaches. Common standards could improve legal interoperability and cross-border digital cooperation while allowing member states to retain regulatory sovereignty.
For ASEAN, the challenge is not only adopting AI but establishing a regional governance framework that prevents fragmented national regulations from creating gaps in data protection, cybersecurity, accountability and algorithmic transparency. An AI governance framework could provide a shared political commitment and baseline principles for responsible AI, particularly in sensitive areas such as lawmaking, justice and public administration, while preserving each member state’s regulatory sovereignty. Such a document would also strengthen ASEAN’s collective negotiating position with major technology powers and international institutions, allowing the bloc to shape emerging AI norms rather than simply adapt to standards developed elsewhere.
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