At Digital Week 2026, international and Vietnamese delegates emphasized the need to transform commitments into practical capabilities, bringing countries to participate in co-creating AI.

On the afternoon of October 28, within the framework of Digital Week 2026 (VIDW 2026) in Quang Ninh, the Ministry of Science and Technology coordinated with the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam to organize an inter-regional dialogue on enhancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity.

The event continues the success of the first session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva last July.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Trung Tinh emphasized that in practice, AI governance cannot be separated from AI capacity. According to him, a good policy framework is not enough if there is a lack of human resources, infrastructure, finance or training opportunities to use AI safely and responsibly. If not resolved promptly, the capacity gap will become a development gap.

The Deputy Minister said that Vietnam identifies AI as an important driving force of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. The Vietnamese National Assembly has passed the Law on Artificial Intelligence, the first specialized law to manage according to risk level and put people at the center. Next, the Government approved the National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence to 2030, vision to 2045 in August 2026.

According to him, Vietnam's approach is based on three pillars. Thứ nhất là thể chế, chính sách. Second is human resources and talent, the deciding factor in the success of AI development. Third is infrastructure, data and the AI ​​startup community. "We believe that AI development is a common journey, and no country can complete that journey alone. Vietnam pursues a harmonious approach between promoting development and ensuring effective governance, being people-centered, ready to share experiences and learn from international friends," said the Deputy Minister.

Sharing about management orientation, Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence (Ministry of Science and Technology), affirmed that Vietnam is gradually building autonomous and safe AI capacity through a comprehensive risk management cycle. This process is shaped by a comprehensive legal system, from the National AI Strategy (2021), Responsible AI Guidelines (2024) to the Artificial Intelligence Law.

On that foundation, the governance framework applies a clear risk stratification model. High levels of risk require close control and supervision from humans. Medium risk is associated with transparency and accountability. While Low Risk ensures legal exploitation, while prohibiting violations.

Accordingly, responsibilities from developers, suppliers to implementers are clearly defined. All procedures for reporting incidents and registering for testing are carried out centrally through the national AI one-stop portal. In addition, the promulgation of the AI ​​Ethics Framework (Circular 05/2026 of the Ministry of Science and Technology), promoting human resource training, developing Vietnamese and ethnic minority language data sets, and operating a controlled testing mechanism are creating a safe space for innovation.

Sharing an international perspective, Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam, said that AI requires cross-border connectivity in an increasingly fragmented world. Citing data from the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, he emphasized the need to move from simple access to capacity building, so that countries are not just consumers but co-creators and co-governors.

Data shows that as of June 2025, 77% of co-located data center capacity is concentrated in high-income countries, while less than 0.1% is in low-income countries.

Mr. Shin Umezu, Head of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, affirmed that capacity and trust must always move forward together. Closing the infrastructure and strategy gap (when in 2025 only about half of member states will have a national AI strategy and less than 20% in less developed countries) requires coordinated financial resources and sustainable partnerships.

The organizers said that all results of the discussion in Quang Ninh will be compiled to send to the United Nations, becoming an official contribution to the second session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance scheduled to take place in New York in May 2027.

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