Deputy PM Lê Tiến Châu experienced humanoid robot Dyno developed by VinDynamics at the ASEAN Law Forum 2026. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu said that principles, standards and regulations for the use of AI in the legal and judicial sectors should first be developed within ASEAN, led by ASEAN and based on consensus and respect for the sovereignty of each member state.

He was speaking while delivering an opening speech at the ASEAN Law Forum 2026 held in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Themed 'Applying AI in law-making and law implementation in the digital era', the two-day forum brought together senior officials and legal experts from ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, international organisations and development partners, including the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Châu said the world was undergoing a transformative period, with rapid advances in science and technology, AI and big data opening up new opportunities while widening the gap between countries at the forefront of digital transformation and those lagging behind.

In recent years, Việt Nam had made initial progress in this area. The National Assembly had passed the Law on AI, making Việt Nam one of the first countries to adopt a dedicated law in the field. The Prime Minister had approved a project to develop the National Legal Portal for 2026-2030, establishing a unified platform for access to legal data, he said.

He said Việt Nam was shifting its legislative approach from one focused on 'governance' toward one that is more 'adaptive' and development-oriented. This aimed to ensure flexibility in the legal system to maximise the potential of new technologies while upholding core principles and values and ensuring system security and safety.

ASEAN has favourable conditions to become a global pioneer in the responsible application of AI in the legal and judicial sectors, contributing to regional and global AI governance frameworks, according to the deputy PM.

ASEAN's young population, rapid digital transformation and diverse legal systems could, if effectively connected, create a rich policy-testing environment.

Châu called on ASEAN member states, development partners and international organisations to pursue four major areas of cooperation.

They include developing common principles for applying AI in lawmaking and law enforcement based on the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics; sharing standards for legal data and experience in digitising and reviewing legal documents; developing high-quality human resources in the legal and judicial sectors while strengthening data infrastructure and technology transfer and maintaining dialogue mechanisms and networks for legal and judicial experts to share experience.

"Việt Nam remains committed to being a responsible member, actively supporting regional and international cooperation initiatives, sharing its experience and learning from effective and innovative practices of other members and international partners," Châu said.

Minister of Justice Hoàng Thanh Tùng said institution building and improvement had long been identified as a strategic breakthrough for national development.

For the justice sector, digital transformation was not merely about digitising the process of drafting legal documents or building legal databases, but also about reforming lawmaking methods, improving the effectiveness of law enforcement and better serving citizens and businesses through modern technologies, Tùng said.

"AI offers significant prospects but also poses common challenges, including personal data protection, cybersecurity, accountability of AI systems and algorithmic transparency," he said.

"AI has no borders," Tùng said, calling for greater international cooperation, experience sharing and compatible approaches that respect differences while promoting common values.

At the plenary session, participants discussed the use of AI in developing and improving Việt Nam's legal system, AI applications in developing the National Legal Portal, ASEAN countries' legal and policy frameworks for digital transformation and AI use in lawmaking and law enforcement and best practices in using AI to help citizens and businesses access legal information.

They also discussed responsible AI practices, including European experience, and ways to strengthen cooperation among ASEAN legal and judicial agencies in digital transformation and AI application.

The thematic session focused on opportunities and challenges for ASEAN in using AI for smart governance, national AI sovereignty and collaborative governance in the public sector and a human-centred approach to AI application based on international experience. — VNS