VIDEO: National AI Policy to position SA as innovation leader, says president

The National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy seeks to position South Africa as a leader in AI innovation and will be a catalyst in supporting economic growth.

This was the word from president Cyril Ramaphosa, delivering the keynote address last night at Microsoft South Africa’s head office in Johannesburg.

At the event, Microsoft announced plans to invest R5.4 billion over the next two years, to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa.

Highlighting the promise of AI for SA, Ramaphosa referenced the emerging technology’s crucial role in developing new industries, creating jobs and fuelling innovation – which will be propelled by the introduction of the imminent National AI Policy.

“AI’s transformative potential cannot be understated, and the global community is rushing to harness the opportunities it presents. As a country, we are developing a National AI Policy that seeks to position SA as a leader in AI innovation, while at the same time addressing its ethical, economic and societal implications.

“AI holds great potential to drive economic growth across nearly every sector. AI-powered computing capabilities are bolstering existing industries and businesses, and paving the way for the creation of new ones.

“The AI revolution is a catalyst for job creation, particularly for young people. The next generation, Generation Beta, will be immersed in tech and AI from birth, and will enter a world of work that is light years away from what it is today. Building a robust AI talent pool is therefore critical.”

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has been at the forefront of AI regulation in SA. Following the release of the draft National AI Plan document in April 2024, the DCDT published the national policy framework for AI in August, and requested feedback from the ICT industry and other stakeholders.

According to law firm Michalsons, the National AI Policy will be the foundation for creating AI regulations and potentially an AI Act in SA. Once implemented, it aims to leverage AI to drive economic transformation, foster social equity and enhance SA’s global competitiveness in AI innovation.

As part of supporting digital transformation for sustainable development, Microsoft announced it is investing in AI skills training, with plans to train one million South Africans in AI, machine learning and cyber security by 2026.

According to Ramaphosa, the application of AI will need to be integrated into educational curricula to prepare scholars for the future of work.

“For a country such as ours, with such a high youth unemployment rate, this comprehensive training will not only prepare young people for jobs in high-tech industries, it will also facilitate self-employment.

“Last week, at the annual lekgotla of our basic education sector, I said that future-proofing our education system means coming to terms with the reality that the first fully-digital generation is already in high school. Specialised training programmes will need to be offered, and strong partnerships will need to be forged between academia and industry.”

Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of finalising the Cyber Security Bill and the National Data and Cloud Policy, to stimulate the digital economy and enable agile public services, while ensuring the implementation of governance principles.

“Last year, SA published the National Data and Cloud Policy to support digital innovation across our economy. In tandem with the expansion of cloud infrastructure, we are in the process of finalising our Cyber Security Bill. This will ensure more online government services and will strengthen issues of privacy and security.

“This, in many ways, will allow our citizens to transact and conduct online services safely. We already have an arm of our government, SARS [South African Revenue Service], through which we are able to interface with the public through digital skills, such as artificial intelligence. It’s part of our work to reform the public service by investing in digital infrastructure to give South Africans access to public services anytime, anywhere.”

In future, the Department of Home Affairs will introduce AI-based services, similar to those of SARS, he added.

“At the heart of this process is the implementation of the digital identity system that will transform the relationship between citizens and government, and create one government that is accessible to every person at a touch of a button.”

At its core, regulation aims to ensure AI is created responsibly and ethically from the start, to ensure citizens, businesses and governments are protected from some of the potential risks, said the president.

Reiterating the words of the United Nations (UN) Development Programme, Ramaphosa noted AI’s development, governance and use must be inclusive and equitable.

“We must heed the words of UN secretary-general António Guterres that AI without ‘guard-rails’ could further exacerbate inequalities and digital divides. It is up to all of us, working in partnership, to ensure AI and its associated technologies do not deepen the technology divide, but narrow it.

“As we look towards hosting the G20 Summit later this year, we are committed to ensuring the adoption of new technologies catalyses Africa’s growth, industrialisation and progress. Using AI for sustainable development is among the priorities of our G20 Presidency. “

The AI, data governance and innovation for sustainable development task force will lead the G20 Presidency stream.

“We look forward to engagement with the G20 and other industry stakeholders in support of the task force’s work. We have high expectations that our G20 Presidency will result in tangible outcomes, both expanding the global digital economy and levelling the AI playing field for the benefit of all,” he concluded.