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AI regulation in Laos: laws & policy (2026)

AI in Laos: proposed.

Laos has no dedicated AI law or binding AI regulations in force as of May 2026. The Ministry of Technology and Communications formally launched its UNESCO AI Ethics Readiness Assessment (RAM) Country Report in January 2026 and is using those findings to draft Laos's first National AI Strategy. In the interim, AI-adjacent governance is addressed through the National Digital Economy Strategy 2021-2030 and a general electronic data protection law.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Laos with other countries

Legal framework

National AI Strategy under development (announced January 2026), informed by UNESCO AI Ethics Readiness Assessment; interim basis is the National Digital Economy Strategy 2021-2030 and Law on Electronic Data Protection

Key points: artificial intelligence in Laos

  1. National AI Strategy in draft

    On 27 January 2026, the Lao government officially unveiled the UNESCO RAM Country Report and confirmed it underpins the drafting of a first National AI Strategy, targeting human-centred and inclusive AI development aligned with international frameworks.

    unesco.org laotiantimes.com

  2. UNESCO AI Ethics RAM completed

    Laos completed UNESCO's AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in 2025, becoming one of 77 countries globally and 8 in South-East Asia to use this macro-level diagnostic across regulation, institutions, infrastructure, human capacity, and societal impact.

    unesco.org dig.watch

  3. No dedicated AI law or binding rules

    As of mid-2026, Laos has enacted no comprehensive AI legislation, sector-specific AI regulation, or formal AI principles with legal effect, placing it alongside Cambodia and Myanmar as ASEAN members still without an adopted national AI policy.

    iseas.edu.sg fulcrum.sg

  4. Digital Economy Strategy as interim basis

    AI-adjacent governance is channelled through the National Digital Economy Development Strategy 2021-2030 and the 20-Year National Digital Economy Vision (2021-2040); a Decree on Digital Transformation was also under preparation as of 2025.

    dig.watch laopdr.un.org

  5. ASEAN DEFA alignment in progress

    Laos is preparing to accede to the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which carries AI-related digital-trade provisions; a 2025 ERIA-MOIC workshop advanced Laos's preparedness on AI and digital trade under that framework.

    etradeforall.org

  6. UN capacity-building on AI governance

    The UN Country Team in Laos has run capacity-building programmes for government officials on AI governance, supporting the Ministry of Technology and Communications as it builds regulatory and institutional tools aligned with UNESCO ethics standards.

    laopdr.un.org

Sources

  1. unesco.org/en/articles/lao-pdr-sets-course-national-ai-strategy-guided-unesco-et
  2. laotiantimes.com/2026/01/29/laos-develops-national-ai-strategy-guided-by-unesco-ethics
  3. unesco.org/en/articles/lao-pdr-artificial-intelligence-readiness-assessment-repo
  4. dig.watch/updates/unesco-framework-national-ai-roadmap-lao-pdr
  5. laopdr.un.org/en/300785-remarks-capacity-building-programme-ai-governance
  6. iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ISEAS-Perspective_2026_13.pdf
  7. etradeforall.org/news/eria-moic-workshop-advances-lao-pdrs-preparedness-ai-and-digital
  8. dig.watch/resource/the-20-year-national-digital-economy-development-vision-2021
  9. fulcrum.sg/what-is-shaping-artificial-intelligence-ai-governance-policies-in-sou

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026