JOHANNESBURG, May 26 – South Africa has appointed an independent panel of experts to reassess its proposed national artificial intelligence framework after an earlier draft was withdrawn following concerns over questionable references included in the document.
The move comes as authorities seek to restore confidence in a policy intended to shape the country’s long-term approach toward artificial intelligence development, regulation and innovation.
South Africa’s minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi informed lawmakers that the previous draft had been pulled after concerns emerged regarding references that appeared inaccurate and potentially generated through AI tools.
The policy document, initially released for public consultation in April, aimed to position South Africa as a leading player in artificial intelligence development across Africa while also addressing issues related to ethics, economic impact and governance.
Government officials acknowledged that internal review processes failed to identify the problems before external scrutiny raised concerns regarding the document’s credibility.
Malatsi described the situation as a significant oversight and noted that there had been insufficient transparency surrounding the use of artificial intelligence tools during the preparation process.
Authorities have now established a seven-member independent review committee that will examine the entire document, recommend amendments where necessary and replace disputed or unreliable references.
Officials indicated that a revised version of the policy is expected to be submitted to Cabinet by late 2026 before moving toward a new public consultation process targeted for early 2027.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies said the decision to withdraw the draft was necessary to maintain public confidence in the policy development process.
Two officials have reportedly been placed on precautionary suspension while investigations into the matter continue.
The development highlights growing concerns globally around the use of artificial intelligence in policy drafting and research processes, particularly around transparency, accuracy and verification standards.
