South Africa Scraps AI Policy Draft
Malatsi said the lapse "compromised the integrity and credibility" of the draft, attributing the fabricated sources to unverified AI-generated citations — a finding that triggered an immediate withdrawal and promises of disciplinary action against those responsible for drafting and quality control.
"South Africans deserve better," he said, adding that officials involved in drafting and quality assurance would face "consequence management."
The minister did not stop at accountability, using the debacle to underscore a broader warning: "In fact, this unacceptable lapse proves why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It's a lesson we take with humility."
The 86-page draft had been gazetted on April 10 following cabinet approval on March 25, with a public comment window open until June 10. It was designed to build on South Africa's 2024 AI policy framework and chart a course for sector-specific AI regulation, infrastructure development, research, skills, and public-sector deployment — with ambitions to position the country as Africa's leading AI innovation hub.
The document's credibility began unraveling after public scrutiny revealed it cited academic papers that could not be verified. Editors at the South African Journal of Philosophy, AI & Society, and the Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy told local media that papers attributed to their publications had never appeared in them.
Pressure mounted swiftly. Khusela Diko, chair of the South African parliament's portfolio committee on communications, posted on X on Saturday urging Malatsi to withdraw and review the draft without delay to avoid "further embarrassment."
Criticism had also arrived from the private sector. In an open letter to the minister, prominent technology investor Stafford Masie — who helped establish Google's initial presence in South Africa — warned that the draft was fundamentally flawed and risked "regulating away" the conditions needed for an AI economy.
The scandal is not an isolated incident. Last year, a judge at the Pietermaritzburg High Court referred Surendra Singh and Associates to the Legal Practice Council for possible investigation after the law firm was found to have submitted AI-generated, non-existent case references in legal proceedings — a stark reminder that the consequences of unchecked AI use extend well beyond government policy documents.
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