South Africa has withdrawn its first draft national AI policy after revelations that it contained fictitious sources in its reference list , which appeared to have been AI-generated.
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi said, “the most plausible explanation is that AI-generated citations were included without proper verification. This should not have happened.
“This failure is not a mere technical issue but has compromised the integrity and credibility of the draft policy,’’ he wrote in a post on X on Sunday.
The policy, unveiled for public comment before finalisation, sought to position South Africa as a continental leader in AI innovation while addressing ethical, social and economic challenges.
It outlined plans to establish new institutions, including a National AI Commission, an AI Ethics Board and an AI Regulatory Authority.
The new development also aims to create incentives such as tax breaks, grants, and subsidies to encourage private-sector collaboration.
Malatsi said there would be consequences for those responsible for drafting the policy and did not say when a new one would be released.
“This unacceptable lapse proves why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It’s a lesson we take with humility,’’ he wrote. (Reuters/NAN)
