AI regulation in Brunei: laws & policy (2026)

Legal framework

Guide on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Ethics for Brunei Darussalam (AITI, April 2025), voluntary, principles-based; supported by the Personal Data Protection Order 2025 (binding, private-sector data protection)

Key points: artificial intelligence in Brunei

1. 01Voluntary AI Governance Guide (2025)

   AITI officially published the Guide on AI Governance and Ethics for Brunei Darussalam on 11 April 2025. The guide is voluntary, technology-neutral, and sector-agnostic, structured around seven principles: transparency & explainability, data protection & governance, security & safety, robustness & reliability, fairness & equity, human centricity, and accountability & integrity. It is designated a living document, with sector-specific supplements anticipated.

   aiti.gov.bn aiti.gov.bn oecd.ai

2. 02Development process & AITI working group

   AITI established a 25-member AI Governance and Ethics Working Group in May 2024, drawing from government, industry, and academia. A public consultation draft was released in July 2024; stakeholder feedback was incorporated before the guide's April 2025 finalisation.

   aiti.gov.bn aiti.gov.bn

3. 03Personal Data Protection Order 2025

   Brunei enacted the Personal Data Protection Order 2025 (gazetted as S 1/2025) in January 2025, granting individuals rights over their personal data held by private-sector organisations and NGOs, with AITI as the enforcement authority. A one-year grace period applies. While not an AI-specific law, it provides a binding data-governance layer relevant to AI systems.

   agc.gov.bn pdp.aiti.gov.bn aiti.gov.bn

4. 04ASEAN alignment & voluntary stance

   Brunei's AI governance framework is explicitly aligned with the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics and draws on the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and EU Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI. Consistent with ASEAN's regional stance, Brunei has deliberately chosen voluntary guidelines over binding legislation to favour innovation.

   digitalpolicyalert.org usasean.org

5. 05National Data & AI Strategy in development

   The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) is developing a national Data and AI Strategy and a new Digital Economy Master Plan in which AI is described as 'central'. These are expected to follow the conclusion of the current five-year masterplan in 2025, but no binding AI law has been proposed as part of this pipeline.

   thescoop.co councils.gov.bn

6. 06No comprehensive or sector-specific AI law

   As of May 2026, Brunei has no enacted comprehensive AI legislation and no tabled AI-specific bill. Existing ICT legislation (administered by AITI) and the new PDPO provide ancillary governance, but binding AI-specific rules do not exist at either the general or sectoral level.

   aiti.gov.bn iseas.edu.sg

Timeline of decisions

1. 3 Jun 2026Guidance
   Digital Brunei 2030 National Masterplan Launched

   Brunei launched Digital Brunei 2030, a five-year national digital transformation plan that, for the first time, embeds a dedicated Data and AI Strategy alongside digital government, society, and business strategies. Flagship AI commitments include a National Sovereign Cloud with AI computing capabilities and development of a Brunei-context National Large Language Model.

   The Bruneian

2. 11 Apr 2025Guidance · official
   AITI Publishes Guide on AI Governance and Ethics for Brunei Darussalam

   AITI released Brunei's first national AI governance framework, a voluntary, principles-based guide establishing seven core principles (transparency, data protection, security, robustness, fairness, human centricity, accountability) for organisations that design, develop, deploy, or use AI in Brunei. It is sector- and technology-agnostic, aligning with the ASEAN AI Governance and Ethics Guide.

   AITI

3. 17 Jan 2025Decision
   Brunei Endorses ASEAN Expanded AI Governance Guide Covering Generative AI

   ASEAN Digital Ministers, including Brunei's representative, adopted the Expanded ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics, extending the 2024 framework to address generative AI risks, incident reporting, and content provenance. This regional instrument directly shaped the principles adopted in Brunei's own April 2025 national guide.

   Digital Policy Alert

4. 9 Jul 2024Guidance · official
   Draft AI Governance Guide Released for Public Consultation

   AITI published a draft Guide on AI Governance and Ethics for public consultation, inviting feedback from government, industry, academia, and the general public. Seventeen stakeholder responses were received, and their input was incorporated into the finalised guide published in April 2025.

   AITI

5. 1 May 2024Decision · official
   AITI Establishes AI Governance and Ethics Working Group

   AITI formed a 25-member AI Governance and Ethics Working Group drawn from government, industry, and academia to draft Brunei's national AI governance guide. This was the first institutionalised multi-stakeholder body dedicated to AI policy in the country.

   AITI

6. 22 Mar 2024Decision
   MTIC Announces Plan to Draft National AI Guidelines

   The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications publicly announced its intention to develop AI guidelines, citing ethical concerns and the need to align with regional and international frameworks such as the ASEAN AI Guide. This was the first ministerial-level commitment to a formal AI regulatory process in Brunei.

   The Scoop

7. 1 Feb 2024Guidance
   ASEAN Publishes Guide on AI Governance and Ethics

   ASEAN released its first Guide on AI Governance and Ethics, establishing common principles and best practices for trustworthy AI across all member states including Brunei. This regional instrument became the primary external reference framework for Brunei's subsequent national AI guide.

   ADB SEADS

8. 4 Jun 2020Guidance · official
   Digital Economy Masterplan 2025 Launched

   Brunei launched the Digital Economy Masterplan 2025 (DE2025), the national 5-year roadmap for digital transformation under Wawasan Brunei 2035, establishing the macro-policy environment for investment in emerging technologies including AI. DE2025 created the institutional impetus that led to later dedicated AI governance work and served as the predecessor framework to Digital Brunei 2030.

   Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC)

Sources

1. 1.aiti.gov.bn/regulatory/ai-governance-and-ethics/
2. 2.aiti.gov.bn/news/2025/guide-on-artificial-intelligence-governance-and-ethics-for-
3. 3.aiti.gov.bn/guide-books/guide-on-ai-governance-and-ethics-for-brunei-darussalam/
4. 4.aiti.gov.bn/media/eysd0thx/draft-guide-on-ai-governance-ethics-for-public-consult
5. 5.oecd.ai/en/dashboards/policy-initiatives/guide-on-artificial-intelligence-ai-
6. 6.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20Images/LAWS/Gazette_PDF/2025/EN/S%201_2025%20%5BE%5D.pdf
7. 7.pdp.aiti.gov.bn/media/jccpm0dx/aiti-pdp-essentials-infokit-jan-2026.pdf
8. 8.digitalpolicyalert.org/event/26114-asean-published-expanded-guide-of-ai-governance-and-ethic
9. 9.usasean.org/article/brunei-releases-voluntary-ai-guidelines-enhance-responsibilit
10. 10.thescoop.co/2025/06/24/ai-will-be-central-to-next-digital-master-plan/
11. 11.councils.gov.bn/08-03-25-digital-economy-masterplan-prioritises-data-governance-for-b
12. 12.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2025-13-what-is-shaping-artif
13. 13.aiti.gov.bn/regulatory/pdp/
14. 14.aiti.gov.bn/reference-documents/list-of-legislations/