South Africa yanks AI policy after AI-assisted drafting invents citations
South Africa has withdrawn its draft national AI policy after discovering it contained fabricated citations generated by AI. The document, which had been approved by Cabinet and was open for public consultation, included references that were entirely made up. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi acknowledged the lapse, citing a failure in human oversight and announcing accountability measures. The incident underscores the risks of relying on AI without rigorous verification, especially in official policymaking.
- ▪South Africa pulled its draft AI policy after AI-generated fake citations were discovered in the reference list.
- ▪The policy had passed Cabinet approval and was under public consultation before the errors were exposed.
- ▪At least six references were found to be entirely fabricated, consistent with AI 'hallucinations'.
- ▪Minister Solly Malatsi admitted the lapse compromised the policy's integrity and promised consequence management.
- ▪The incident echoes a similar case in Australia where Deloitte had to correct an AI-tainted government report.
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AI + ML South Africa yanks AI policy after AI-assisted drafting invents citations Eish shame man! Maybe you shouldn't ask AI to set the rules for AI use? Carly Page Mon 27 Apr 2026 // 17:24 UTC South Africa has pulled its draft national AI policy after discovering that it was citing sources that exist only in the fertile imagination of a chatbot. The country's Department of Communications and Digital Technologies confirmed over the weekend that the draft, which had already cleared Cabinet and was out for public comment, included "various fictitious sources" in its reference list. Communications minister Solly Malatsi said the department rechecked the draft after reports flagged fake references and found some citations were indeed made up, prompting its withdrawal. "This failure is not a mere technical issue but has compromised the integrity and credibility of the draft policy," he said in a post on X, adding that AI-generated citations appear to have slipped in without anyone checking them. <a href="https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ae-eWlOXIFMTbQIHTxbfeAAAAkY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ae-eWlOXIFMTbQIHTxbfeAAAAkY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> The document has now been yanked, and Malatsi said that those involved in drafting and sign-off can expect "consequence management." <a href="https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ae-eWlOXIFMTbQIHTxbfeAAAAkY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ae-eWlOXIFMTbQIHTxbfeAAAAkY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D426raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> <a href="https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ae-eWlOXIFMTbQIHTxbfeAAAAkY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ae-eWlOXIFMTbQIHTxbfeAAAAkY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> "This unacceptable lapse proves why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It's a lesson we take with humility," Malatsi said. "I want to reassure the country that we are treating this matter with the gravity it deserves." The now-defunct policy was sold as a forward-looking framework, full of talk about "intergenerational equity" and AI benefiting current and future generations. It's now best known for a references section that doesn't hold up. <a…
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