Vietnam’s communist party to enlist influencers and AI in digital propaganda blitz

WEB DESK: Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party is set to radically overhaul its propaganda machinery, moving away from traditional rhetoric in favour of a digital-first strategy involving social media influencers and artificial intelligence.

Internal documents seen by Reuters reveal an ambitious roadmap to modernise the state’s influence. The strategy aims to build a network of at least 1,000 influencers and 5,000 AI experts by 2030.

The objective is to flood the digital landscape with “positive” content, ensuring the party’s ideology resonates with a younger, tech-savvy generation that increasingly shuns state-run television for TikTok and Facebook.

Creating ‘Ideological Immunity’

The proposed strategy is designed to create what the documents describe as “ideological immunity” across society. By dominating the narrative, authorities hope to shield the public from what they deem “harmful, toxic, and false information.”

Under the leadership of Party Chief and President To Lam a former internal security head the party is tightening its grip on public discourse. The draft sets a firm target: by the end of the decade, 80pc of all Vietnamese-language content online must be “positive.”

To achieve this, the party plans to deploy AI tools developed by domestic tech firms to “lead social discussion” and automate the removal of dissenting content. The goal is to scrub 90% of “infringing” posts within 24 hours of publication.

The rise of the state-sponsered influencer

To bridge the gap with the youth, the party is pivoting toward more palatable formats, including podcasts, short-form videos, and targeted social media campaigns.

Influencers recruited into the fold are expected to publish approved materials and promote official activities in exchange for perks such as sponsored trips, though direct financial compensation is reportedly not part of the standard package.

However, this push for “creativity” carries inherent risks for a regime used to absolute control. A recent song titled “My Uncle,” which likened President To Lam to the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, was reportedly met with unease by party officials for being “improperly oriented.”

Despite the drive for modern engagement, the party remains wary of any grassroots content even supportive content that might inadvertently undermine the carefully curated prestige of its top leadership.