South Africa’s government has withdrawn the recently published Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy after it emerged that some of the research listed in its reference list was fictitious and was potentially incorrectly generated by AI.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) published the policy earlier this month but over the weekend local media outlet News24 reported that the policy document cited several academic journal articles that don’t in fact exist.
DCDT Minister Solly Malatsi confirmed the error in a statement.
“Following revelations that the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy published for public comment contains various fictitious sources in its reference list, we initiated internal questions which have now confirmed that this was the case,” Malatsi said.
“The most plausible explanation is that AI-generated citations were included without proper verification. This should not have happened,” he said.
He officially withdrew the document and said, “this failure is not a mere technical issue but has compromised the integrity and credibility of the draft policy.”
The Minister commented that “South Africans deserve better” and said the DCDT “did not deliver on the standard that is acceptable for an institution entrusted with the role to lead South Africa’s digital policy environment.”
The draft policy had been opened for public comment, which was due to close on June 10, 2026, and it is unclear when an updated draft will be published.
The policy document has been in the works since 2024. The government had planned to finalize the policy in 2026, with full implementation expected during 2027 or 2028.
The importance of human oversight in AI
The policy reportedly included at least six fabricated references in its bibliography.
Experts believe these references were generated by AI, a phenomenon known as AI hallucinations – where AI systems produce false or inaccurate information.
The issue has raised concerns over the credibility of the policy, which ironically is supposed to outline the responsible deployment of AI in South Africa, and which calls for the promotion of “human-centric AI solutions.”
“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,” Minister Malatsi admitted.
He said the department was treating the matter with the gravity it deserves.
“There will be consequence management for those responsible for drafting and quality assurance,” he said.
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