Tien noted that the eight tasks and solutions stated in the Politburo’s Resolution 71 includes the requirement to “accelerate digital transformation, popularize and apply digital technology and artificial intelligence in the management and organization of education and training at all levels.” 

This is the right direction but not easy to implement. He said that other countries focus on building legal frameworks to govern AI to ensure it is used responsibly. 

However, the major challenge is that AI is developing rapidly, far exceeding the cycle of policymaking. The key issue is that governance must “catch up” with the pace of AI and adapt promptly to technological advances.

“In Vietnam, our strength is that we already have initial policies and a basic legal framework on AI, even though they remain rudimentary. But in education alone, we do not have any legal framework for introducing AI into schools. In reality, AI is being brought into schools from preschool to university in an uncontrolled and widespread manner,” Tien said.

All education programs or textbooks must go through a strict appraisal and validation process before being officially used. “This is clearly a major gap with AI,” Tien pointed out.

The expert recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), in addition to building a legal framework for AI in general education, needs to develop flexible AI governance solutions for the education sector. 

“This is to ensure that use of AI keeps up with the development of education, does not create barriers, and maintains responsibility and ethics,” Tien said, adding that guidelines on how to use AI in schools are needed.

Tien said that teachers should be given certain conditions to pilot AI-related policies. Based on the results of these pilots, the education sector can safely expand applications to support AI.

“In addition, we must encourage collaboration between schools, teachersmand all stakeholders, especially businesses, research institutes and scientists, to build an AI ecosystem in education that ensures responsible and ethical use,” Tien said.

Regarding whether AI should be applied at the preschool level, Tien said that introducing AI into education poses challenges and requires even greater caution in preschools. 

“I know that many preschool institutions are already using AI and consider it a competitive advantage in enrollment. However, a very clear control mechanism is needed when bringing AI into the classroom. The level of control must depend on each educational level and the cognitive ability of each age group,” Tien stressed.

MOET has sent a document to provincial education and training departments to collect feedback on the draft guidelines for piloting AI education content in general education.

MOET said that AI education plays an important role in helping students acquire and expand knowledge, innovate in a digital environment, and adapt to modern society. AI also supports the development of technological skills for learning and work.

The AI education framework is based on four major knowledge strands corresponding to four competency domains: human-centered thinking; AI ethics; AI techniques and applications; and AI system design. 

These strands complement each other and help students understand the boundary between using technology and social responsibility, ensuring AI serves humanity safely and humanely.

The content framework is divided into two stages: basic education (primary and secondary) and career orientation (high school), designed to be connected but differentiated by age characteristics:

Primary level (familiarization): Students recognize AI through intuitive applications (image or voice recognition), understand that AI is created by humans, and begin forming awareness of protecting personal data.

Secondary (basic understanding): Students learn principles of operation (data, algorithms), practice using AI tools to solve academic tasks, and identify risks or biases of AI.

High school: creation and career orientation: Students design simple AI systems, develop complex problem-solving skills, and explore career pathways in technology.

According to the plan, in December, the Ministry will develop materials and train core teams for the pilot implementation. From December 2025 to May 2026, the program will be piloted in selected educational institutions.

By June 2026, the results of the pilot will be reviewed and evaluated to finalize the AI Content Framework before proposing broader implementation in subsequent school years.

In parallel with student education, the Ministry will also pilot the use of AI in management, supporting teachers in lesson preparation and innovative assessment methods.

Thanh Hung