South Africa Withdraws Draft AI Policy After Finding Fake AI-Generated References

South Africa has withdrawn the first draft of its national artificial intelligence (AI) policy after a list of fictitious references was found to have been allegedly generated by AI.

South African Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, Solly Malatsi, said the false sources were likely included without adequate verification.

"The most plausible explanation is that the AI-generated quotes were inserted without proper verification. This should not happen," said Malatsi.

He emphasized that this issue was not merely a technical error, but had damaged the integrity and credibility of the draft policy. "This negligence is not merely a technical issue, but has sacrificed the integrity and credibility of the draft policy," he said.

The draft AI policy was previously launched this month to receive public input before being finalized.

The document aims to position South Africa as an AI innovation leader on the African continent, while responding to the ethical, social, and economic challenges that arise from the development of this technology.

In it, the government proposes the establishment of a number of new institutions, such as the National AI Commission, the AI Ethics Council, and the AI Regulatory Authority.

In addition, the draft also contains plans for incentives in the form of tax relief, grants, and subsidies to encourage collaboration with the private sector. However, after finding false references, the document was officially withdrawn.

Malatsi said there would be consequences for those responsible for preparing the document. However, he has not revealed when the new draft will be published.

"This unacceptable negligence proves why human oversight that is vigilant about the use of artificial intelligence is so important. This is a lesson we have received humbly," said Malatsi.

The case has come under international scrutiny for highlighting the importance of human verification in the use of AI, especially for public policy documents that have wide strategic impact.

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