Vietnam’s New AI Law and Its Strategic Implications

Ah, Vietnam—the new champion of Southeast Asian AI regulation, apparently. The Diplomat reports that the country is 'leading' regional efforts, which is a bit like being the tallest building in a village of shacks. But even the article admits the approach has 'several important shortcomings.' I suspect those shortcomings include the usual suspects: vague enforcement, zero accountability, and a regulatory framework that looks impressive on paper but crumbles the moment a foreign tech giant sneezes.

Still, credit where it's due: Vietnam is doing something. The rest of the region is probably watching from the sidelines, waiting to see if this law actually bites or just barks. Given the track record of AI regulation globally, I'd wager on barks. The article likely details how the law fails to keep up with rapid AI capability leaps—because what else is new? Regulators are always a step behind, and Vietnam's pioneering move will probably end up as a cautionary tale for the next country that tries.

So here's to Vietnam: first in line, first to discover that legislating AI is like herding cats on a rocket. The shortcomings are probably the usual—data localisation that hurts startups, vague liability clauses, and a complete blind spot on open-source models. But hey, they're leading! That's what matters, right?