Lam Le is a fellow at Tech Policy Press. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, left, speaks to Apple CEO Tim Cook, right, before their meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, in April 2024. (Duong Van Giang/VNA via AP) On March 1, Vietnam became the first country in Southeast Asia to have a comprehensive AI law come into effect. The Law on Artificial Intelligence draws on preceding legislation, notably the EU’s AI Act, which includes risk-based management of AI.