Vietnamese AI app outpaces global rivals as local user engagement climbs
Vietnamese users spent 704 million hours and US$14.4 million on AI applications in the first half of 2026, with a homegrown platform outperforming several global rivals as demand for Vietnamese-language AI continued to grow.
Vietnam's AI app industry is booming, according to a recent Sensor Tower report. In just the first half of 2026, Vietnamese users generated 18.6 billion AI app sessions, more than double the 8.82 billion sessions from the previous year. Mobile engagement surged, with users dedicating 704 million hours to AI apps, up from 300 million hours in the same period last year. While web and mobile usage increased only slightly, it's clear that users are gravitating towards mobile platforms.
Consumer spending on AI apps followed suit, with in-app purchase revenue nearly doubling to US$14.4 million from US$7.44 million. This indicates a strong demand for premium AI services among Vietnamese consumers. Despite the broader Asia-Pacific AI market showing signs of maturity, Vietnam remains an active hub for AI usage. ChatGPT and Gemini lead in monthly active users, but a Vietnamese startup's AI Hay ranks third, ahead of other global competitors like Grok and DeepSeek.
AI Hay has evolved from a simple question-and-answer app to a comprehensive AI assistant for education, work, and daily tasks. Its most popular feature allows users to take photos of documents, which the app then translates, provides homework help, or extracts information from invoices and official notices. The app has amassed over 22 million downloads, compared to 15 million a year ago.
Developers are tailoring the platform to meet the needs of Vietnamese users, focusing on strong language understanding, contextual awareness, and features that address real-world problems. This strategy proved effective, especially following Vietnam's national high school graduation exams. The app introduced exam question solvers, university admission prospects estimators, and career guidance tools, generating millions of interactions among users.
Google's latest Gemini report highlights Vietnam as Southeast Asia's leading market for native-language AI, with 89% of prompts submitted in Vietnamese - the highest share in the region. This trend underscores the growing demand for AI applications that cater to local languages and needs.
Looking ahead, AI Hay is preparing to launch an application programming interface (API), allowing other developers to integrate its AI capabilities into their software. This move is significant for Vietnam's AI ecosystem, showcasing the country's AI capabilities and providing domestic organizations with a locally developed AI platform, reducing reliance on foreign solutions.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
