The Tamesis
Vietnam has become the first country in Southeast Asia to pass laws regulating artificial intelligence.
The law, which came into force on Sunday (March 1), has a comprehensive framework to try to regulate the booming technology.
The bill, passed by the National Assembly in December, focuses on the risks posed by generative AI, which requires human oversight and control in line with the EU’s landmark Artificial Intelligence Act.
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Many countries are taking action to address the dangers of chatbots and image generators – from misinformation to online abuse, deepfakes and copyright infringement – but few have enacted legislation.
The government said in a report in December that the legislation “paved the way for Vietnam to deeply integrate into international standards while safeguarding digital sovereignty”.
Tags for AI-generated content
It requires companies to clearly label AI-generated content, such as deepfakes, that cannot be easily distinguished from reality.
It also requires them to disclose information to customers when interacting with a human agent rather than a human.
The law applies to developers, providers and deployers of the technology, whether they are Vietnamese organizations or foreign entities operating in the country.
Vietnam has set ambitious double-digit growth targets for the next five years, with the expansion of the digital economy being a key part of its development strategy.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Trinh was quoted on a government website last Wednesday as saying that artificial intelligence and the data economy are the “pillars” of a “new, more sustainable and smarter development” model.
Under the law, the government will establish a national artificial intelligence computing center to improve data resources and large-scale language models in Vietnamese.
South Korean law comes into effect in January
To date, only a handful of countries have implemented far-reaching regulatory frameworks for AI.
The United States opposes what Vice President Vance calls “over-regulation,” warning that it could stifle innovation in critical areas.
In January this year, South Korea became the first country to fully implement an artificial intelligence law, while the European Union is gradually developing a set of rules that will be fully applicable by 2027.
While Vietnam’s law is a regulatory milestone, analysts say its impact will depend on how the government enforces it and the implementation guidelines it issues.
A “starting point”
Vietnam-based law firm LNT & Partners said in an analysis posted on its website that the law was “not a final decision” but a “decisive starting point.”
“It establishes responsibility, human control and risk management as dominant themes in AI regulation,” the company said.
However, it added that “the real impact will depend on the implementing decrees, departmental regulations and enforcement practices”.
Patrick Keil, senior counsel at law firm DFDL, called the law “an important statement of national ambition” but told AFP that businesses would continue to face some uncertainty about their obligations until the government issues further guidance.
in a Artificial Intelligence Summit hosted by New Delhi In February this year, 91 countries and international organizations called for “safe, trustworthy, and robust” artificial intelligence.
But their statement, signed by the United States and China, was criticized by AI safety activists as being too broad and failing to protect the public.
Despite the boom in artificial intelligence, analysts say regulatory oversight is clearly still a work in progress.
- Jim Pollard, AFP, provided additional comments
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