Cape Town authorities have put the draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy out for public discussion, which revealed references to non-existent scientific works.
According to sources, at least 6 out of 67 scientific papers referenced in the mentioned bill simply do not exist. South Africa's Minister of Communications, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, confirmed that the most likely explanation is that the bill was generated using AI. He added that references to non-existent works were included in the bill without human verification, which "should not have happened."
Ntshavheni described the fake citations as not just a technical glitch. Due to the hallucinations of AI algorithms, the department annulled the bill to completely rewrite it.
According to the minister, this incident once again proved that AI must always remain under human control. "I want to assure the country that we take this matter with the utmost seriousness it deserves. Those responsible for the development and quality control will be held accountable," the minister stated.
The bill was intended to serve as a foundation for establishing new regulatory bodies, such as a national AI commission, an AI ethics council, and a separate body for AI regulation. It also outlined plans for the accelerated implementation of AI technologies in South Africa through grants, tax incentives, and subsidies for initiatives in this area.
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