South Africa has withdrawn its national artificial intelligence policy after discovering that parts of the document were generated by AI, including at least six fictional academic citations that referenced journal articles that do not exist.
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi announced the withdrawal after media outlet News24 revealed that the policy, which had just been released for public comment, contained obvious AI hallucinations. The fake citations came from journals including the South African Journal of Philosophy, AI & Society, and the Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy.
“The most plausible explanation is that AI-generated citations were included without proper verification. This should not have happened,” Malatsi said, adding that the failure “has compromised the integrity and credibility of the draft policy.”
The policy had aimed to position South Africa as a leader in AI innovation while addressing ethical, social, and economic challenges. Malatsi said there would be “consequences” for those responsible and that the document will be revised before being reissued for public comment.
“This unacceptable lapse proves why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It’s a lesson we take with humility,” he added.
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