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Malatsi unveils panel to guide AI policy redraft after ‘hallucination’

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 557 words · By Khulekani Magubane
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What to know about Administrative Failure

The government is working to draft a new version of the ill-fated AI policy, which will be finalised and released for public comment, complete with a discussion paper, by the end of this year.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The government is working to draft a new version of the ill-fated AI policy, which will be finalised and released for public comment, complete with a discussion paper, by the end of this year.

Why it matters

To assist with this, a seven-member expert review panel, including top university academics, has been established to guide the process and prevent the shortcomings that led to the first AI draft policy being drafted using AI, which hallucinated at least six…

Common ground

Two officials were suspended over the matter.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-26-malatsi-unveils-panel-to-guide-ai-poli…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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Claim 1: “A delegation from the department of communications and digital technologies, led by minister Solly Malatsi, briefed parliament’s portfolio committee on communications and digital technologies on Tuesday morning”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail about the briefing on 'Tuesday morning' is found in the Timeslive cross-reference. While other sources confirm Solly Malatsi's role and the existence of the department, they do not specifically corroborate the Tuesday morning briefing event.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (formerly the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services and the Department of Communications) is one of the departments of the Sout…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Communications_a…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Draft South Africa National Artificial Intelligence Policy, 2026 was a national policy published by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) under Section 85(2)(b), aimed a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_South_Africa_National_Ar…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Siviwe Gwarube (born 14 July 1989) is a South African politician who is currently serving as Minister of Basic Education in the Government of National Unity (GNU) since July 2024. A member of the Demo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siviwe_Gwarube
+ 4 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “the department decided that the best course of action would be to withdraw that policy”
CORROBORATED
The withdrawal of the policy by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is confirmed by Timeslive and multiple web sources including Yahoo and News24.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) (Filipino: Kagawaran ng Teknolohiyang Pang-Impormasyon at Komunikasyon) is the executive department of the Philippine government resp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Information_and_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (formerly the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services and the Department of Communications) is one of the departments of the Sout…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Communications_a…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The minister of communications and digital technologies (formerly minister of communications, minister of posts, telecommunications and broadcasting and minister of posts and yelecommunications) is a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_Communications_and…
+ 4 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “Two officials were suspended over the matter.”
CORROBORATED
The suspension of two officials is reported by Timeslive, The Witness, and referenced in a draft policy document search result.
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web search NEUTRAL — ↑ "Two officials suspended over AI-generated draft AI policy". TimesLIVE. 2026-05-01. Retrieved 2026-05-11. ↑ "Officials suspended over fake AI sources in ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_South_Africa_National_Ar…
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 30, 2026 · The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has placed two officials on precautionary suspension with immediate effect following ...
https://www.facebook.com/WitnessKZN/posts/the-department-of-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 30, 2026 · Home Affairs is suspending senior officials after News24 found fictitious or untraceable references in a key immigration white paper.
https://www.news24.com/business/tech/home-affairs-suspends-t…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 4: “The panel comprises: Prof Vukosi Marivate, associate professor at the African Institute of Data Science and AI at the University of Pretoria; Prof Alison Gillwald, executive director of Research ICT Africa; Bowmans partner Heather Irvine; National Planning Commissioner Dr Tshepo Feela; Dr Jabu Mtsweni, head of information and cybersecurity at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; and cyberlaw expert Lufuno Tshikalange.”
CORROBORATED
The specific membership of the panel (Marivate, Gillwald, Irvine, Feela, Mtsweni, and Tshikalange) is confirmed by both Timeslive and a separate web search result ('Malatsi sets up team of experts after AI policy blunder').
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vukosi Marivate (born in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa) is a South African computer scientist and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Pretoria, where he holds the ABSA–UP Chair of Data Scien…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vukosi_Marivate
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tshilidzi Marwala (born 28 July 1971) is a South African artificial intelligence engineer, a computer scientist, a mechanical engineer and a university administrator. He is currently Rector of the Un…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tshilidzi_Marwala
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web search NEUTRAL — “We will be enforcing an internal responsible AI use policy and reviewing our policy development process to ensure that this type of occurrence does not happen again. South Africa deserves better,” he…
https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-05-13-minister-malatsi-…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 5: “a seven-member expert review panel, including top university academics, has been established to guide the process”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in the Timeslive cross-reference, but the other web search results provided are irrelevant (YouTube, MIT Tech Review, TV repair), meaning only one source confirms the specific seven-member panel setup.
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web search NEUTRAL — About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhCzX0iLnOc
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web search NEUTRAL — This story is part of MIT Technology Review’s "America Undone” series, examining how the foundations of US success in science and innovation are currently under threat. You can read the rest here.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/24/1120639/trumps-a…
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web search NEUTRAL — Following the datasheet of SM4186 IC, how to repair LED TV with LSC320AN09-H03 panel, if you watch this video, you can easily understand the reason for LED TV screen problem or light and picture not c…
https://rutube.ru/video/bb38128ffc9e96064ecd39557002f251/
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 6: “The government is working to draft a new version of the ill-fated AI policy, which will be finalised and released for public comment, complete with a discussion paper, by the end of this year.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this specific claim are generic definitions of 'government' and job boards, providing no information regarding the specific AI policy timeline or the release of a discussion paper.
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web search NEUTRAL — A government is the system or group of people governing a country and its administrative divisions which is generally called as a state and as such the term is a metonym for it in governmental topics.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government
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web search NEUTRAL — Find government benefits, services, agencies, and information at USA.gov. Contact elected officials. Learn about passports, Social Security, taxes, and more.
https://www.usa.gov/
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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 19, 2025 · Find a government job today! Use our job search engine to browse federal, city and state jobs, and apply online. From entry-level to executive, find your career.
https://www.governmentjobs.com/
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Claim 7: “By August the panel is expected to finalise a consolidated report”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the August deadline for the consolidated report.
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Claim 8: “the first AI draft policy being drafted using AI, which hallucinated at least six of its citations.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Yahoo, News24 via search results, and Timeslive) confirm that the draft AI policy was written using AI and contained at least six hallucinated/fake citations.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — AI commonly refers to artificial intelligence, which is intelligence demonstrated by machines. Ai, ai, a.i, A.I or AI may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Martina Eileen "Ai-Ai" Hernandez delas Alas (born November 11, 1964) is a Filipino actress and comedian. Referred to as the "Queen of Comedy" for her comedic talent, she is best known for her role as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai-Ai_delas_Alas
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and dec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
+ 4 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “The AI expert review panel would be chaired by Prof Benjamin Rosman of the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute.”
CORROBORATED
The fact that Prof Benjamin Rosman of Wits chairs the panel is confirmed by Timeslive, a dedicated news report ('Wits' Benjamin Rosman Leads SA AI Policy Panel'), and a Wits Facebook post.
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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago ... The National AI Expert Review Panel will be chaired by Professor Benjamin Rosman (Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute) ...
https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-27-suspended-off…
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web search NEUTRAL — May 18, 2026 ... Wits in 60 Seconds | Season 4: Episode 14 Professor Benjamin Rosman will lead the country's national AI policy advisory panel, while Prof.
https://www.facebook.com/witsuniversity/posts/wits-in-60-sec…
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web search NEUTRAL — May 15, 2026 ... Rosman, a professor in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, brings decades of expertise in machine learning, robotics, and AI ...
https://www.academicjobs.com/higher-education-news/wits-benj…
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.