AISEAN / POLICIES
AI Policy & Regulation Tracker
National AI strategies, readiness, and dated regulatory developments across all 10 ASEAN states
🇸🇬 Singapore — National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0, Dec 2023) + NAIS Update May 2026 with 10 Refreshed Priorities; National AI R&D Plan (NAIRD) updated Jan 2026; Budget 2026 Enterprise Compute Initiative (S$150M); AI Assurance Framework (2026 planned)
Most advanced in ASEAN. NAIS Update (May 2026) sets 10 priorities across industry, government, research, talent, workforce, ecosystem, compute, data, trust, and international partnerships. National AI Council (NAIC) established Feb 2026, chaired by PM Lawrence Wong. National AI Missions launched in advanced manufacturing, financial services, connectivity, and healthcare. >70 AI Centres of Excellence. Agentic AI Governance Framework released Jan 2026 by IMDA. No binding AI law; voluntary risk-based model maintained. S$1B+ committed to public AI R&D and talent 2025–2030. readiness 91 global rank #2 Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI); Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA); National AI Council (NAIC, est. Feb 2026); AI Verify Foundation; Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance (CAIDG); AI Safety Institute; Cyber Security Agency (CSA)
Compute & Data Infrastructure | AI Assurance & Governance (AI Verify, ISAGO 2.0, Model AI Governance Framework GenAI) | Talent & Research (NAIRD, ASPIRE 2B supercomputer) | Industry Adoption (National AI Missions) | International Partnerships (OECD, GPAI, ASEAN)
  • Jun 2026 Singapore Government and Google published findings from their AI Agents Sandbox on May 20, 2026, outlining governance considerations for agentic AI systems.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore's IMDA updated its Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026, addressing risks of autonomous AI agents with human oversight requirements.
  • Jun 2026 IMDA updated its Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore Government and Google published findings from their AI Agents Sandbox on May 20, 2026, establishing governance considerations for agentic AI deployment.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore's IMDA updated its Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026, following the January 2026 launch.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore's IMDA updated its Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026.
  • Jun 2026 IMDA released an updated Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026.
  • Jun 2026 IMDA updated the Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore's IMDA released an updated Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore Government and Google released findings from their AI agents sandbox on May 20, 2026, providing governance insights on agentic AI deployment risks and human oversight calibration.
  • Jun 2026 Singapore's IMDA updated its Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI on May 20, 2026, refining guidance on responsible deployment of autonomous AI systems. S$1B+ AI compute 2024–2029. AI Verify testing framework. OpenAI opens first overseas lab (May 2026). Commonwealth AI Centre host. ASEAN AI Safety Network co-founder.
🇲🇾 Malaysia — National AI Action Plan 2026–2030 'AI Nation 2030' (published Jul 2026, building on AI-Rmap 2021–2025); National AI Governance & Ethics Guidelines (AIGE); Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MDEB); Digital Trust & Data Security Strategy 2026–2030; Budget 2026: RM5.9B to AI & digital infrastructure incl. RM2B sovereign AI cloud
Active & accelerating. AI Nation 2030 Action Plan formally published July 2026 by National AI Office (NAIO). Targets top-20 global AI readiness by 2030 and >RM60B AI contribution to GDP. RM5.9B Budget 2026 allocation. Risk-based regulatory framework aligned to OECD, GDPR and EU AI Act principles. Voluntary governance in place; binding AI law under consideration. Fast-growing data-centre hub (Johor corridor). 2026 declared 'pivotal year' by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo. readiness 67 global rank #31 National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO, est. Dec 2024) under Ministry of Digital; Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI); MyDIGITAL Corporation; MED4IRN
AI Adoption (Impact Engines in priority sectors) | Infrastructure & Sovereign Compute (RM2B AI cloud, Johor data centres) | Talent & Skills (50% additional tax deduction for AI training, HRD Corp) | Governance & Ethics (AIGE + PDPA) | Investment & Innovation (SME grants, semiconductor/NSS strategy)
  • Aug 2026 On 10 July 2026, Malaysia's National AI Office opened public consultation on its AI Governance Bill, revealing the legislation is still in pre-drafting stage — more than a month after it was expected to reach Cabinet — as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim simultaneously launched PMX.AI, an agentic digital double developed by Zetrix AI, exposing a gap in election-specific AI content rules ahead of GE16.
  • Jul 2026 On 18 July 2026, PM Anwar Ibrahim launched PMX.AI — an AI avatar trained on his speeches, writings, and policy record, developed by Zetrix AI as a PKR initiative — exposing Malaysia's regulatory gap on AI-generated political content ahead of GE16, as no election-specific rules for synthetic media currently exist.
  • Jul 2026 On 10 July 2026, Malaysia's National AI Office opened public consultation on the AI Governance Bill — confirming the bill remains in pre-drafting stage despite Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo's November 2025 claim it was nearly complete and a wider framework would reach Cabinet by June 2026.
  • Jul 2026 On July 16, 2026, Malaysia signed the founding charter of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai, joining Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar as ASEAN founding members of the new China-led intergovernmental AI governance body. PM Anwar banned non-AI DC applications (Feb 2026). $6.45B GPU imports Jan–Apr 2025. World #1 DC destination 2023–24. ILMU sovereign LLM. ASEAN AI Safety Network secretariat.
🇻🇳 Vietnam — AI Law (enacted Dec 2025, phased force from Mar 2026 over 4 years) — first binding AI law in ASEAN; National AI Strategy 2030; AI, cloud computing & semiconductors designated national strategic technologies; $110M National Technology Development Fund for AI/semiconductors
Landmark binding AI Law in force from March 2026, making Vietnam the ASEAN AI legislation pioneer. Risk-based classification framework modelled on EU AI Act (fewer risk tiers, impact-based). Regulatory infrastructure and authority appointments set for 2026. Updated IP and cybersecurity laws passed alongside AI Law. Strong centralised governance structure and clear data sovereignty provisions. AI manufacturing and software capabilities growing rapidly (108% AI talent growth cited). readiness 62 global rank #37 Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST); Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC); Ministry of Public Security; National AI regulatory authority (being established 2026 under AI Law)
Binding AI Law & Risk Classification | Data Sovereignty & Cybersecurity | AI in National Strategic Technologies (semiconductors, cloud) | Talent & Research | Manufacturing & Software AI Capability
  • Jul 2026 As of July 28, 2026, The Diplomat published analysis confirming Vietnam's AI Law (Law 134/2025/QH15) is in active implementation following its March 2026 entry into force, with the law asserting sovereign control over data flows and establishing a risk-classified AI regulatory framework — the first binding AI statute in Southeast Asia.
  • Jun 2026 Vietnam published draft decree guiding the AI Law and draft Prime Minister decision identifying high-risk AI systems in February 2026, operationalizing the AI Law that took effect in March 2026.
  • Jun 2026 Vietnam published draft decree guiding the AI Law and draft Prime Minister decision identifying high-risk AI systems in February 2026.
  • Jun 2026 Vietnam published draft decree guiding AI Law implementation and draft decision identifying high-risk AI systems in February 2026, with regulatory infrastructure and authorities to be established in 2026. Only ASEAN nation with binding AI legislation (Dec 2025). 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030. $79.3B AI GDP projection. FPT $400M AI factory.
🇮🇩 Indonesia — National AI Strategy (Stranas KA, 2020–2045); National AI Roadmap 2026–2029 (draft Presidential Regulation, pending enactment as of Aug 2026); AI Ethics Guidelines (draft); UU PDP Personal Data Protection Law (full compliance Oct 2026)
Consolidation phase. Largest SEA digital economy and global leader in workplace AI adoption, but no binding AI law as of mid-2026. Two Presidential Regulation drafts (AI Roadmap + AI Ethics) remain in inter-ministerial coordination. Komdigi acts as AI governance orchestrator. BRIN leads research/regulatory translation. AI deployed in public services (free meals program, healthcare, smart cities). Roadmap spans short (2025–27), medium (2028–35), long (2035–45) horizons. Data-centre capacity concentrated in Jakarta; infrastructure gap remains. readiness 55 global rank #48 Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) – AI governance orchestrator; National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) – AI & Cybersecurity Research Centre; National Standardization Agency (BSN); National Data and AI Ethics Council (planned)
Ethics & Policy (Stranas KA, Pancasila-aligned) | Talent Development | Digital Infrastructure & Data | Research & Industrial Innovation (BRIN) | Priority Sectors: Healthcare, Education, Governance, Food Security, Smart Cities & Mobility
  • Jul 2026 On July 16, 2026, Indonesia co-signed the founding agreement of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai alongside 28 other countries, joining Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar as ASEAN founding members of the China-proposed intergovernmental AI body to be headquartered in Shanghai. First sovereign AI DC (BDx CGK4, Dec 2024). $1.7B Microsoft commitment. AI Center of Excellence with NVIDIA & Cisco. No binding AI law yet.
🇹🇭 Thailand — National AI Policy & Ethics Guidelines (ETDA); National Cyber Security Agency AI Security Guidelines (Sep 2025, ISO/IEC 42001-aligned); Draft AI Law (drafting since 2023, regulatory authority appointment targeted 2026); BOI 8-year tax exemptions for Tier-III AI/data-centre infrastructure
Active but pre-legislative. No dedicated AI statute enacted as of Aug 2026. AI governance primarily driven through sector-specific regulator guidelines (BOT for fintech, SEC for digital assets, insurance regulator) and infrastructure investment incentives. AI Law drafting resumed after 2-year quiet period; regulatory authority establishment targeted for 2026. BOT released draft Digital Channel Security Notification (Jul 2026). National Cyber Security Agency released AI security guidelines Sep 2025. AI positioning led by infrastructure investment (BOI incentives). readiness 51 global rank #55 Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA); National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA); Bank of Thailand (BOT); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES)
Sector-Specific AI Governance (finance, insurance, digital assets) | Cybersecurity-Aligned AI Standards (ISO/IEC 42001) | Infrastructure Investment Incentives (BOI 8-yr tax exemption) | AI Law (in drafting) | Digital Economy & Industrial AI
  • Jun 2026 Thailand's PDPC released draft Guidelines on Personal Data Protection in AI (Feb 2026) — mandating model-training prohibitions in data agreements and DPIAs for high-risk AI. $2.7B DC investment secured. Google $1B Chonburi DC. Amazon $5B. Pathumma sovereign LLM (NSTDA). Draft AI Risk Regulation (ETDA 2025). 2027 AI hub target.
🇵🇭 Philippines — National AI Strategy Roadmap (NAISR) 2.0 (soft-launched Jul 2024 by DTI); DOST AI Roadmap (updated 2024); AI Governance Framework (DICT); Executive Order on Responsible AI Use in Government; Center for AI Research (CAIR) established
Developing. NAISR 2.0 soft-launched but funding constrained — government R&D budget fell sharply to PHP 4.03B (2024) with PHP 350.5M earmarked for CAIR. No binding AI law. Ranked 6th in ASEAN for AI publications. Talent and skills remain a major bottleneck (researchers per million inhabitants declined). Multiple departments (DTI, DOST, DICT) driving fragmented but converging efforts. AI ethics and public-sector AI use addressed through administrative orders. English-language advantage supports BPO/AI services sector growth. readiness 45 global rank #68 Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – NAISR lead; Department of Science and Technology (DOST); Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT); Center for AI Research (CAIR)
National AI Strategy Roadmap (NAISR 2.0) | AI Research (CAIR) | Public Sector AI Ethics & Governance (DICT) | Talent & Education | AI for BPO & Digital Services
  • Jun 2026 On May 30, 2026, ASEAN announced from Manila — with the Philippines holding the 2026 chair — that negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) had concluded; DEFA sets binding common rules across ASEAN for cross-border data transfers, e-commerce, cybersecurity, and AI, making it the world's first regional digital economy agreement and a landmark governance milestone for AI regulation across all ten member states.
  • Jun 2026 Philippines announced on May 30, 2026 the conclusion of negotiations on ASEAN's Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
  • Jun 2026 As 2026 ASEAN Chair, the Philippines plans to propose a binding regional AI regulatory framework drawn from its draft domestic legislation. No binding AI regulation yet. English-language AI talent advantage. BPO sector AI pivot underway. Grid reliability challenges for hyperscale DC. CAIR established 2023.
🇧🇳 Brunei — Brunei Digital Economy Masterplan 2025 (BDE2025) — AI is a cross-cutting enabler across smart government, digital industry, and digital society pillars; Digital Economy Council chaired by Sultan; AI Brunei initiative under Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI); target to develop 1,000 data scientists; alignment with ASEAN AI Governance Framework and UNESCO AI Ethics Recommendation; no standalone AI act but Personal Data Protection Order (2021) provides data governance baseline.
Progressing (small-state scale). BDE2025 in final implementation year. AI embedded in government services (e-Darussalam portal), healthcare (RIPAS Hospital), and oil & gas (Brunei Shell). AITI actively facilitating AI sandboxes. Small talent pool and market size limit scale. ASEAN chair experience (2021) helped embed Brunei in regional AI governance dialogue. readiness 38 global rank #71 Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI); Digital Economy Council; Ministry of Transport & Infocommunications (MTIC); Department of Economic Planning & Statistics (DEPS)
1. Smart Government & E-Services | 2. Digital Industry (Oil & Gas AI, FinTech) | 3. Digital Society & Talent (1,000 data scientists target) | 4. Data Governance & Cybersecurity | 5. Regional AI Cooperation (ASEAN)

Highest per-capita GDP in SEA. BIA sovereign fund could anchor ASEAN GPU pooling. No dedicated AI law. Vision 2035 digital ambitions include AI for government services.

🇰🇭 Cambodia — Draft National AI Strategy (public consultation launched Jun 2025); Digital Government Policy 2022–2035; AI Landscape Report 2023 (MISTI); UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) completed; No dedicated AI law or PDPA
Pre-strategy phase. Public consultation on draft national AI strategy launched June 2025, guided by UNESCO RAM and MISTI AI Landscape Report. Government stance is to 'regulate, not strangulate.' No Personal Data Protection Law and no binding AI regulations. Cybersecurity enforcement weak. National strategy formal adoption expected in 2026. AI governance building on wider Digital Government Policy 2022–2035 as foundation. readiness 22 global rank #105 Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI); Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC); Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)
Draft National AI Strategy (under consultation) | Digital Government Policy 2022–2035 | UNESCO RAM Guidance | AI Landscape Assessment (MISTI) | Basic Cybersecurity (developing)
  • Jul 2026 On July 16, 2026, Cambodia became a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), signing the establishing agreement in Shanghai alongside four other ASEAN states, committing to China's proposed intergovernmental AI cooperation framework. Pragmatic innovation-first approach. Khmer language severely underrepresented in all major global LLMs. Public consultation on AI strategy ongoing 2025.
🇱🇦 Laos — National Digital Economy and Society Development Plan 2021–2025 (extended) + Laos National AI Policy Framework (early-stage, 2024)
Nascent. Laos published an early-stage AI policy concept in 2024 under its digital economy roadmap. AI governance is referenced within the 8th National Socioeconomic Development Plan. Implementation capacity is extremely limited — no dedicated AI body, no regulatory framework, minimal compute infrastructure. AI uptake is restricted to donor-funded pilots (World Bank, ADB) in agriculture and e-government. Dependent on ASEAN-level frameworks for governance guidance. readiness 11 global rank #104 Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC); Department of Information Technology; National Committee for Digital Economy
Digital Connectivity | E-Government Pilots | Agriculture AI (donor-driven) | Human Capital Baseline | ASEAN Framework Alignment
  • Jul 2026 On July 16, 2026, Laos signed the founding agreement of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai — with Laos's deputy prime minister attending the ceremony — marking Laos's most significant formal AI governance commitment to date. Lao language extremely underrepresented in all major LLMs — near zero training data. High-value sovereign data opportunity. Very early-stage digital economy.
🇲🇲 Myanmar — No national AI strategy. Cybersecurity Law No. 1/2025 (indirectly touches AI via digital platforms/national security); e-Governance Master Plan 2030; High-level coordination meetings underway to craft future AI strategy
Most constrained in ASEAN. No AI-specific laws or binding strategy as of Aug 2026. Cybersecurity Law 2025 provides indirect digital platform oversight. e-Governance Master Plan 2030 reflects digital government vision but lacks AI focus. Political instability, weak infrastructure, censorship, and limited connectivity severely hamper AI development. High-level meetings underway to draft an AI strategy but progress remains limited. Ranked in bottom 15% globally on Responsible AI Index. readiness 11 global rank #126 Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC); Myanmar Digital Economy Council; National AI Strategy Coordination (ad hoc, inter-ministerial)
Cybersecurity Law 2025 (indirect AI scope) | e-Governance Master Plan 2030 | Draft AI Strategy Coordination (high-level meetings) | ASEAN AI Guide (reference) | Basic Digital Infrastructure

Political instability severely limits AI policy progress post-2021 coup. Cybersecurity Law No.1/2025 indirectly touches AI. Significant latent AI talent base.