Vietnam Climbs to Second in Southeast Asia for AI Adoption

Vietnam has marked a notable milestone in its digital transformation journey. According to Microsoft's Global AI Diffusion Report, the share of working-age people using artificial intelligence in Vietnam reached 26.5% in the first quarter of 2026, lifting the country to second place across Southeast Asia.

That figure is up from 23.5% in 2025, an improvement of roughly three percentage points in just one year. More striking still, it represents the highest growth rate anywhere in the region, underscoring how quickly Vietnam is accelerating relative to its neighbours.

How the region stacks up

Singapore remains the clear regional leader, with an adoption rate of 63.4% that puts it well ahead of the pack. Vietnam follows next, edging past several larger economies including Malaysia (21.8%), the Philippines (20.1%) and Thailand (12.4%). The ranking reflects how rapidly AI tools are spreading through work and daily life in the country.

Vietnam is entering a pivotal AI era, with momentum building across businesses, the developer community, education and government.

The assessment came from Microsoft executive Dhanawat Suthumpun, speaking about the potential of the Vietnamese market. In his view, the combined pull from these different groups of users is what allows AI to seep deeply into the economy.

The report also pointed to encouraging signals worldwide. Globally, git push operations jumped 78% year over year, a sign of vibrant software development activity powered by AI assistance. In addition, 26 economies have now crossed the threshold of 30% AI usage among their working-age populations.

With the fastest growth in the region, Vietnam now has a chance to narrow the gap with leading technology hubs while cementing an increasingly important role in Asia's wave of AI adoption.