South Africa Withdraws National AI Policy Amidst Hallucination Scandal
South Africa has withdrawn its draft national AI policy after discovering that at least six of the 67 academic citations within it were AI-generated hallucinations. This revelation was made by News24, which found that the cited articles did not exist in the mentioned journals, despite appearing to be real.
The Details
The Communications Minister, Solly Malatsi, announced the withdrawal on April 27th, labeling the citations an "unacceptable lapse" and promising consequence management for those involved. The policy, approved by Cabinet in March, proposed a comprehensive AI governance framework including:
- National AI Commission
- AI Ethics Board
- AI Regulatory Authority
- AI Ombudsperson
- National AI Safety Institute
- AI Insurance Superfund
It outlined five core principles: skills capacity, responsible governance, ethical and inclusive AI, cultural preservation, and human-centered deployment. The policy followed a risk-based approach modeled after the EU AI Act.
The Scandal Unfolded
After News24’s investigation, editors from reputable journals including the South African Journal of Philosophy, AI & Society, and the Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy confirmed that the cited articles had never been published. The most likely explanation, according to Malatsi, is that the drafters utilized a generative AI tool without verifying any references.
Impact and Future Steps
With this scandal, South Africa finds itself without an official AI governance framework at a critical time when governments worldwide are grappling with AI regulation. The policy will be revised before being reissued for public comment, but no timeline has been provided. The minister’s suggestion to steer clear of ChatGPT during the redrafting process highlights the severity of this issue.