Vietnam's KOL Summit Focuses on 'Digital Trust' Amidst AI-Driven Misinformation

On September 7, the second National KOL Summit, KOL Summit 2026, was held in Ho Chi Minh City, attracting over 1,000 celebrities, content creators, technology experts, and representatives from management agencies. Under the theme "KOLs on the Journey to Build Digital Trust," the summit focused on the role and responsibilities of influencers in the context of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly changing how information is created and disseminated. According to the organizers, alongside the ability to reach millions of people in a short time, KOLs and content creators also face increasing demands for information verification, transparency in promotional activities, and responsibility to the community. Notably, the development of generative AI and deepfake technology is making the line between real and fake content increasingly difficult to discern. The KOL Summit 2026 was led by the Digital Trust Alliance, sponsored by the Ministry of Public Security, in coordination with the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department, the National Cybersecurity Association, and VCCorp. The event brought together many artists, KOLs, and content creators from the fields of art, entertainment, and lifestyle, including Đen Vâu, Ngô Kiến Huy, H'Hen Niê, Song Luân, Diệp Lâm Anh, Thiều Bảo Trâm, Phương Thanh, OnlyC, MC Khánh Vy, Thu Trang, Tiến Luật, and Lê Tuấn Khang. One of the notable contents at the conference was the Digital Trust Zone experience area, where attendees could try tools to check information reliability, identify deepfake content, and learn about technologies for authenticating content origins. After one year of operation, the Digital Trust Alliance currently has 125 official members, including 51 technology organizations and businesses, and 74 influential individuals. In the first six months of 2026, 274 units and individuals registered to join the alliance. Previously, the "Not Alone 2025" campaign, with the participation of over 1,000 artists and content creators, generated over 1.5 billion views on digital platforms, focusing on raising awareness of the risks of online grooming, psychological manipulation, and online abduction. At KOL Summit 2026, the Digital Trust Alliance also launched the National Digital Trust Club Network and initiated the Influencer Credibility Program, aiming to enhance the legal understanding, risk management capabilities, and responsibilities of KOLs, influencers, and content creators in the digital environment. The message from the organizing committee at the conference was "Viral with Heart - Influential with Vision," emphasizing the requirement to transform the reach of influencers into positive values and contribute to building trust in cyberspace.