VIETNAM POSTS SECOND-HIGHEST AI ADOPTION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Vietnam has the second-highest AI adoption rate in Southeast Asia at 26.5 per cent, according to a recent Microsoft report.

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The Global AI Diffusion Report, published on June 15, also found that global AI usage among the working-age population rose from 16.3 per cent to 17.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2026

Microsoft noted that AI adoption in Vietnam has increased stably from 21.2 per cent in the first half of 2025 to 26.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2026. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam trails behind Singapore at 63.4 per cent. Meanwhile, Vietnam outperformed most Southeast Asian peers in AI adoption, including Malaysia (21.8 per cent), the Philippines (20.1 per cent), and Thailand (12.4 per cent).

During the first quarter, Vietnam’s AI adoption increased by three percentage points, marking the highest in the region. With the ongoing acceleration of AI adoption nationwide, Vietnam has been positioned as one of the fastest-growing economies since June 2025.

“Vietnam is entering an important phase in the AI era. We see a strong momentum among businesses, the developer community, the education sector, and the public sector in exploring how AI can drive productivity, innovation, and competitiveness,” said Dhanawat Suthumpun, managing director for Microsoft's Emerging Markets.

“The latest Global AI Diffusion Report shows the global adoption of AI is rising quickly. Against the backdrop, Vietnam is well-positioned to turn this momentum into long-term growth. As AI becomes the defining technology of the next decade, I believe Vietnam has the potential to become one of the most dynamic AI-driven economies in Southeast Asia,” added Suthumpun.

According to the report, intensity of use among economies with the highest rates of AI diffusion has increased, with 26 economies now exceeding 30 per cent of the working age population using AI. The UAE continued to lead global AI diffusion at 70.1 per cent. The US finally started to move up the national rankings, albeit only from 24th to 21st, based on a 31.3 per cent usage rate by the working age population.

Asia is experiencing a broader growth wave. 12 of the 15 fastest-growing economies since June 2025 are in Asia, and each has at least 25 per cent more AI users than in June last year. Growth has been led by South Korea (up 43 per cent), Thailand (up 36 per cent), and Japan (up 34 per cent), with Fastest growing economies since June 2025 similarly strong gains in Mongolia, Iran, Laos, and Turkey (all 30 per cent). The pattern spans both advanced and emerging economies, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

To track all these trends, Microsoft continues to measure AI diffusion as the share of people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 64 who have used a generative AI product during the reported period. This measure is derived from aggregated and anonymised Microsoft telemetry and adjusted to reflect differences in OS and device-market share, internet penetration, and country population.

Source: VIR