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AI in ASIA
Monday, 2 March 2026

3Before9

3 must-know AI stories before your 9am coffee

Who should pay attention

Businesses in Vietnam | AI developers | Regulators in Southeast Asia

What changes next

Enforcement of Vietnam's AI Act will be the immediate focus.

1

Vietnam Becomes Southeast Asia's First Country With a Live AI Law

Vietnam's AI Act came into force yesterday, making it the first country in Southeast Asia with a comprehensive, enforceable AI regulatory framework. Modelled closely on the EU AI Act, it requires human oversight of generative AI systems, mandatory labelling of deepfakes and synthetic content, and commits the government to building national AI computing infrastructure and Vietnamese-language LLMs. The legislation was passed in December and had a March 1 effective date, meaning businesses operating in Vietnam are now in compliance territory whether they're ready or not.

Why it matters for Asia

Every brand, agency and tech company running campaigns or deploying AI tools in Vietnam just moved from "best practice" to "legal obligation" overnight. The immediate watch is enforcement. Analysts describe it as a "decisive starting point, not the final word." More significantly for the region, this is the template other ASEAN governments will reference as they build their own frameworks. Singapore watches. Thailand watches. The dominos are lined up.^

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2

India's AI Summit Closed With 88 Countries, $100 Billion in Data Centre Pledges and the Biggest Tech CEO Gathering of the

Year The India AI Impact Summit wrapped last week with 88 countries, including the US, China, and Russia, signing the New Delhi AI Declaration and committing to develop AI for social and economic good. Adani announced a $100 billion commitment to build renewable-powered AI data centres across India by 2035, with a projected $150 billion downstream in server manufacturing and sovereign cloud. India separately earmarked $1.1 billion for a new state AI venture fund. Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Sundar Pichai, Demis Hassabis, Mukesh Ambani, and Narendra Modi all shared the stage alongside Emmanuel Macron. India also formally joined the Pax Silica group, aligning with the US, UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, UAE, and Australia on AI infrastructure supply chains.

Why it matters for Asia

This was the most significant AI diplomacy event of 2026 so far, and it happened in Delhi, not San Francisco or Brussels. If India's data centre ambitions are even half-realised, the region's AI compute map shifts fundamentally. The Pax Silica alignment also means Southeast Asia's most strategic hub is now formally embedded in the West's AI supply chain coalition.^

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3

Singapore Ranks Third in the World in the Global AI Brain Race, Above Every Country Except US and

China A new Global AI Brain Race Report ranking 100+ nations on R&D output, infrastructure, talent readiness, governance, and economic integration has placed Singapore third globally, with the US first (82/100) and China second (59/100). India placed sixth, strong on talent but flagged as weak on infrastructure and governance. The ranking covers AI universities, funding environments, responsible AI practices, and academic strength across more than 100 countries.

Why it matters for Asia

Third in the world is a remarkable result for a city-state of 5.5 million competing against nations with 100x the population. It validates Singapore's sustained investment in AI governance and its bet on quality over scale. For businesses deciding where to anchor regional AI operations, this ranking provides institutional cover for the decision most were already making. For India's policymakers, it is a clear and uncomfortable benchmark.^

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