South Africa Withdraws AI Policy

South Africa has withdrawn its first draft national AI policy after it was discovered to contain fictitious, AI-generated sources in its reference list. Solly Malatsi, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, announced the withdrawal, stating that the failure compromised the integrity and credibility of the policy. An internal investigation confirmed the presence of these unverified citations, leading to promises of consequence management for those responsible within the South Africa — Department of Communications and Digital Technologies. The policy, which aimed to position South Africa as a continental leader in AI innovation and address ethical, social, and economic challenges, had been approved by Cabinet for public comment. The withdrawal followed reports by News 24 highlighting the issues and calls from figures like Khusela Diko and Brandi Stafford for its review. This incident underscores the critical need for vigilant human oversight in the use of artificial intelligence, especially in public sector policymaking, and is expected to delay South Africa's efforts to establish a formal AI regulatory framework.