Artificial Intelligence · Tonga
AI regulation in Tonga (2026)
Tonga shaded by its artificial intelligence status
Tonga has no national AI strategy, AI-specific legislation, or formal AI governance guidelines as of mid-2026. The government is pursuing broader digital transformation—including deployment of an AI-powered tool (TongaGPT) and a digital identity system (TongaPass)—but these are operational initiatives, not regulatory frameworks. The 2024 AI Asia Pacific Institute report confirmed no active AI strategy exists across any of the 16 Pacific Island nations, including Tonga.
Key points
The AI Asia Pacific Institute's August 2024 regional report explicitly found there is no active AI strategy in any of the 16 Pacific Island countries, and AI readiness remains weak across the region, including Tonga.
Tonga's overarching digital policy is the Tonga Digital Government Strategic Framework (2019–2024), which promotes ICT adoption across government but contains no AI-specific governance provisions.
In May 2025, Tonga's Prime Minister's Office launched TongaGPT—an AI tool trained on public-sector information—alongside a new e-government portal and the TongaPass digital ID system, signalling operational AI use without accompanying regulatory rules.
Tonga enacted a Cybersecurity Bill in 2024 and is drafting a Data Protection & Privacy Bill; neither instrument addresses AI governance specifically, though they form part of the broader digital legal architecture.
A UNDP-supported digital readiness assessment for Tonga (alongside Solomon Islands) highlighted low AI readiness and recommended a coordinated government-civil society approach, but produced no binding AI governance output.
Tonga's then-Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku advocated for AI use in climate action at COP28, and the current PM Fakafānua (in office since December 2025) supports digital transformation; however, neither government has proposed AI-specific legislation.
Tonga - other topics
Last verified 5/25/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →