Vietnam: Ministry of Science and Technology opened consultation on Decree No. 2026/ND-CP implementing Law on Artificial Intelligence including data protection requirements

On 9 February 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology opened a consultation on Decree No. 2026/ND-CP implementing the Law on AI. Article 16 sets forth principles requiring that transparency measures be clear, accessible, and proportionate to system risk levels while protecting state secrets, business secrets, personal data, and intellectual property rights. The principles also mandate conformity with Vietnamese ethical standards, cultural values, and laws. Article 17 requires providers of medium and high-risk AI systems to make basic information publicly available or ready for disclosure upon request, including enough information to support outsider understanding of system operating logic without requiring disclosure of proprietary algorithms or training data. High-risk system providers face enhanced accountability obligations to maintain technical dossiers and operation logs, coordinate with state agencies during incident investigations, and implement remedial measures upon detecting serious risks or violations. When providers do not develop their own AI models, they must coordinate with model developers to fulfill transparency obligations. The Ministry of Science and Technology will issue implementation guidance focused on simplicity and feasibility without creating new risk criteria, pre-inspection procedures, periodic reporting obligations, or requirements exceeding the Decree's provisions.