Vietnamese users log 700M hours on AI apps amid regional slowdown

Vietnamese users logged 704 million hours and spent US$14.4 million (VND378 billion) on AI applications in the first six months of 2026, according to a global market report by analytics firm Sensor Tower. This figure more than doubled the 300 million hours recorded in the first half of 2025, indicating a growing willingness among Vietnamese users to pay for advanced features beyond initial curiosity. The growth in Vietnam, however, comes against a broader regional slowdown. In the first quarter of 2026, the Asia-Pacific region recorded a 3.75% decline in monthly active users, the first dip after 13 consecutive quarters of growth. Instead of focusing on growing fast and grabbing new users, companies are now fighting to keep their current users and make their product genuinely useful. By the end of Q1 2026, OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini were the top two platforms in Vietnam by monthly active users. In third place was AI Hay, a local assistant developed by a Vietnamese startup, which outperformed prominent international rivals like Grok and DeepSeek. An AI Hay spokesperson told VnExpress that the startup adapted to evolving user demands by transforming from a basic Q&A tool into a multi-purpose assistant for academic, professional, and daily tasks. Visual query functionality has become the platform's most heavily used feature. Rather than typing out text prompts, users routinely snapshot documents for instant translation, photograph homework assignments for step-by-step guidance, or scan bills and public notices to extract key details. AI Hay now claims over 22 million downloads, up from 15 million a year ago. "Deep optimization for local language nuance, cultural context, and practical everyday needs is what allows domestic AI platforms to resonate with Vietnamese users," the spokesperson noted. For example, following the recent high school graduation examination, the startup rolled out specialized tools to solve exam papers, estimate university admission odds, and provide score-based career advisory services, a suite that drew millions of interactions. This localized focus aligns with findings from Google's recent Gemini report, which ranked Vietnam first in Southeast Asia for native-language AI interaction, with 89% of prompts submitted in Vietnamese. Experts say the data illustrates a fundamental shift in how AI is utilized, transitioning from basic conversational chatbots into targeted productivity tools. Beyond simple web searches, users now routinely rely on AI to translate complex technical documents, analyze datasets, assist with coding, summarize lengthy reports, and break down specialized academic concepts. The regional dynamics reflect a maturing global sector. Sensor Tower estimates global consumer spending on AI mobile apps exceeded US $4 billion through 2.3 billion downloads in the first half of 2026, with overall time spent and session counts showing steep year-over-year gains. To promote AI application for domestic users, AI Hay is preparing to open its API, allowing external software applications and enterprise tools to build directly on its underlying model. Over time, this infrastructure will enable local software developers, enterprises, and universities to integrate AI Hay's capabilities into their own products rather than developing models from scratch. "This marks a crucial step for AI Hay," the spokesperson said. "It demonstrates the technical capabilities of Vietnamese engineers while providing domestic organizations with a viable homegrown platform, lessening complete reliance on foreign technology." Information source: VnExpress International