Journal of Economic, Finance Research and Review (JEFRR)

Toward Layered AI Autonomy: A Strategic Framework for Managing Dependency Risks in Transition Economies A Conceptual Framework with Illustrative Evidence from Vietnam

Minh, Pham Duy

29 June 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 6, pp. 352-361

DOI: 10.65150/EP-jefrr/V2E6/2026-07

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms from a small number of advanced-economy technology firms has created a structural dependency problem for developing nations. Existing concepts of AI sovereignty and digital sovereignty, primarily developed in the context of advanced economies, provide insufficient guidance for resource-constrained transition economies that must simultaneously navigate the imperative of AI adoption and the risks of technological lock-in. This paper proposes the Layered AI Autonomy for Transition Economies (LAAT) framework, a three-layer strategic model that enables transition economies to manage AI dependency risks across four dimensions: financial, technical, legal-contractual, and geopolitical. Drawing on switching costs theory (Shapiro & Varian, 1999), market thickness theory (Roth, 2012), platform economics (Parker et al., 2016), and techno-economic paradigm cycles (Perez, 2002), the framework reconceptualizes AI autonomy not as a binary state but as a multidimensional spectrum achievable through strategic layering. We apply the LAAT framework to Vietnam, a rapidly digitalizing lower-middle-income economy with an ambitious national AI strategy, demonstrating how the framework can guide evidence-based AI policy. The analysis reveals that Vietnam exhibits high dependency vulnerability across all four dimensions, with concentrated risk in the legal-contractual and geopolitical dimensions. The June 12, 2026 export control action against Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models serves as a critical empirical case for the framework's applied significance. We conclude with a three-phase policy roadmap translatable to other transition economies at comparable stages of AI adoption.

Keywords: AI sovereignty, vendor lock-in, transition economies, digital policy, Vietnam, AI governance, platform dependency

Read the full text on Journal of Economic, Finance Research and Review →The full peer-reviewed article and PDF are hosted on the journal's site (the version of record).

Minh, & Pham Duy (2026). Toward Layered AI Autonomy: A Strategic Framework for Managing Dependency Risks in Transition Economies A Conceptual Framework with Illustrative Evidence from Vietnam. Journal of Economic, Finance Research and Review, 2(6), 352-361. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jefrr/V2E6/2026-07

@article{Minh2026,
  title   = {Toward Layered AI Autonomy: A Strategic Framework for Managing Dependency Risks in Transition Economies A Conceptual Framework with Illustrative Evidence from Vietnam},
  author  = {Minh and Pham Duy},
  journal = {Journal of Economic, Finance Research and Review},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {2},
  number  = {6},
  pages   = {352-361},
  doi     = {10.65150/EP-jefrr/V2E6/2026-07},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jefrr/V2E6/2026-07}
}

← Back to all articles